The Dark Arts
by Clouded-Days
Summary: AU. Ryou, a thief, is caught. However, Bakura, the Master, decides to watch over him. For a while, things seem normal in the castle. But after strange incidents & sights start going on, Ryou wonders what’s really being hidden from him... COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

Hihihi! A new fic! Sorry for all the new fics and stuff, but I _really_ liked this idea...

Full summary: AU. Ryou, a thief, is caught, but Bakura decides to watch over him. For a while, things seem normal in the castle, which Bakura, the Master, lives. But after strange incidents and sights start going on, Ryou wonders what's really being hidden from him...

I hope you guys enjoy!

* * *

Sharp, trembling breaths were taken in constantly as he ran. Dirtied white hair cascaded down his back, the strong gusts of wind blowing it out behind him. He yelped as he tripped, falling to the rocky, soaked ground. He heard the loud footsteps behind him, and forced himself back up onto his feet. A clash of thunder sounded then, making him stiffen, the pouring rain making it hard to see. Bolts of lightning appeared after the booms of thunder, tearing through the raven-black sky, and lighting up the whole area with a enormous flash of radiance. 

-

Bakura let out a snarl, brown, crimson tinted eyes narrowing. The rain was coming down harder than it was before, soaking his hair and clothes. He grumbled in annoyance as he approached the front door of the enormous building, in fact, more like a castle. A streak of lightning lit up the sky just then, but the man didn't even appear to notice.

_Now my walk is ruined. _He thought bitterly.

He stopped as he heard something, his sharp senses picking up an unfamiliar noise over the sound of the pouring rain and thunder. He turned, still standing on the path leading up to the marble steps, followed by the main door. A frown crossed his lips as his eyes further narrowed, seeing a figure approaching.

Gasping, the boy continued to run desperately. Crystal tears were swimming in chocolate colored orbs, and due to the rain and gloom erasing his vision, he never noticed the figure that stood in his path.

Bakura stood still as the boy slammed right into him before crumpling to the ground, letting out a low whimper. He gasped, however, as two men grabbed his forearms, yanking him roughly off the now muddy ground. "Please, l-let me go…"

"Master Bakura, what do you want us to do with this nuisance? He's nothing more than the common street rat."

The man looked the boy up and down, eyes boring deep into the chocolate colored ones. The other male looked no older than sixteen, or even that. He had a mess of tainted white hair that stopped at the middle of his back, bangs falling into his eyes, which, Bakura noticed, were filled to the brim with tears. He was soaked, the rainwater making his hair and clothes stick to his skin like another layer. His short-sleeved, white shirt was tattered and ripped, especially in the front, his jeans mere shreds from all the holes, down to his grubby sneakers, which were now splattered with mud. His skin was pale, like Bakura's own.

Bakura, looking irritated, let out a long breath. "What exactly did he do?"

"He steals, mostly." At this, the boy looked at his feet. "This is about the fifth time we've caught him, alone. He's probably done more things in his free time."

Bakura grunted. "Whatever. Just put him downstairs. I don't have time for this nonsense. Now, after he's put away, I need one of you to report to my quarters. Understood?"

"Understood, sir."

The teenager didn't protest as he was dragged towards the building, knowing that being locked up was better than the other things he'd heard about. Bakura climbed the marble steps and up to the front door, the wood polished and shimmering in the very little light.

Bakura grumbled to himself as he opened the door, going inside, his trench coat swaying. Traveling down the enormous hallway, he turned left, the other boy being forced to go to the right. The younger male was straining to take in everything at once. Beautiful chandeliers hung from the pure white ceiling, the walls a reddish-purple shade. The floor was tiled, white and then black, and repeating in a pattern. The walls were lined with pictures hanging in golden frames. As they continued down the hallway, there stood the grandfather clock, towering over them, a wooden table propped up beside it, where a stack of papers and such sat. Thousands of doors lined the walls, and the albino was absolutely fascinated.

He was led down the marble steps, and it grew darker and darker, and he was soon in the basement, where little light shone. He took note of the cells that lined the walls, most of them empty. He was put into the third one on the left, and merely stared out as the door was shut and then locked.

The two guards disappeared up the stairs.

* * *

Bakura walked down the corridor, heading in the direction of the Dining Hall. The grandfather clock struck seven-thirty P.M. as he passed, and took a left at the end of the hall. Going a little ways, he soon entered the dining room, and pushed the doors open. 

All fell silent in an instant, and it was more than quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Bakura walked down the isle, between the two long tables in the room, each table seating fifty people.

Everyone stood up, and Bakura collapsed into his leather armchair at the end of the first table. Waving his hand around, Bakura reached for his glass of wine, and everyone sat down again.

Bakura took a swig from his crystal glass, taking notice of the white-haired teenager sitting to his right, seeing the boy fidgeting and squirming in his chair, unable to sit still.

The boy swallowed, and even though the ninety-eight other people seated at the tables were too busy eating and chatting with one another, he still felt like he was being watched too closely.

"…You'd better go ahead and stuff your face while you have the chance." Bakura muttered.

Despite his stomach being empty, and not eating in days, the teenager felt his nerves quickly take his appetite away. But despite it, he raked up the first forkful of food up and ate it quickly.

The rest of the meal passed by in silence between the two. As people began to leave, Bakura stood up, his body leaving imprints in the soft leather of the chair. The younger one stood up as well, although slowly, leaving the comfort of his chair, which was set with velvet cushions, like the other chairs.

"Come with me." Bakura muttered, and began to travel down the hallway. People were bustling about, mostly cleaning. "…I want to talk to you."

The albino blinked as Bakura led him into his chambers, which was an enormous bedroom. Half of the room was bookshelves, lined to the brim with textbooks. The other, consisted of Bakura's other things. His bed, which was huge, was against one wall, black sheets made neatly, two fluffy pillows sitting upright, a transparent canopy about it. His side table took up the rest of the wall to the right of the bed, made of amazing, sparkling wood, another leather armchair sitting there. Stacks of papers were neatly sitting upon it, a lamp sitting closest to the bed. On the left of the bedside was a door, which, the boy guessed, from seeing no dressers in the room, was a closet. Other items were hanging about.

Bakura strode over to his bed and sat down upon it, and waved his hand in the direction of the armchair. The teenager obeyed him in silence, sitting down, the leather seeming to swallow him.

"…Do you have a name, kid?" Bakura asked, looking bored.

"R-Ryou." The boy stammered, looking at the floor.

"…I've heard you're a thief, Ryou. A _common_ thief, at that… Exactly…how old are you?" Bakura questioned, arms on the resting place of his thighs.

Ryou swallowed, not making eye contact with the man. "…I…I'll be sixteen in September…"

"So, you're fifteen. You steal, correct?" Ryou nodded slowly. "Why? And why so much?"

"…I…I can't afford anything. M-My mother and sister died, and my father left after that. T-They left some money, but…that ran out, really quick. I…I couldn't get a job. If they found out I was living by myself they'd call Social Services…and…and I didn't want a foster home." Ryou swallowed, straining to bite back tears. "I-I d-didn't know what to do."

Bakura's eyes narrowed as Ryou started to cry. "Stop crying. That's not acceptable here."

Ryou desperately rubbed at his eyes with his tattered shirt sleeve, sniffling. There was silence for a few minutes, and Ryou suddenly spoke in a nervous murmur, "Master Bakura? What…are you going to do with me?"

"…That depends on many things, kid. You've already lowered your chances by being caught for theft so many times. You're lucky they didn't kill you on the spot." Bakura said as he stood up, opening the closet door, and extracting a pair of black nightwear.

Ryou blushed as Bakura began to unbutton his shirt, which was strangely, white, lace cuffs ending at his wrists, the collar covering his neck. Ryou quickly turned his head, cheeks flushed.

Bakura let the sleeves of his shirt slide down his shoulders, removing the upper clothing from his body, and began to loosen his belt. The man glanced at Ryou, who was still blushing slightly, staring at the floor. After changing clothes, Bakura clambered onto his bed. Only then did Ryou turn around.

"You have a debt to pay, you know. Even if you do become a prisoner, you still have to help us out."

"What do you mean?"

"You think it's easy cleaning this place?" Bakura asked with a snort. "And then there's the cooking and other things like that."

After the silence settled in, Ryou decided to break it. "…Can…you tell me anything about yourself, Master?"

Bakura shrugged lightly. "…My family and the others in my village were murdered a _really _long time ago. Royalty…never ran through us. But I've been here for a long period of time, and the old Master…decided to make me the new one, when they became too old." Bakura sighed. "Being Master of this place isn't always as fun as it looks. Actually, we have the most responsibility. But there's more time for that kind of thing later." Bakura eyed Ryou's destroyed clothes. "I want you to change out of those."

Ryou blushed as Bakura gave him a white nightgown, which was wrapped in plastic. Prying the outfit out from the plastic covering, Ryou turned his back to the man, and, blushing hard, started to change clothes.

Bakura's eyes narrowed as Ryou pried off his shirt. Bakura noticed how sickeningly thin the teenager was, despite his height. Ryou changed quickly into the gown, which was too large for him, so the sleeves constantly slipped down his thin shoulders, the boy trying to pull them up each time.

"…I'll get someone to get you an outfit tomorrow." Bakura muttered. "Anyway, that should be a little more…_comfortable _to sleep in tonight."

Ryou swallowed deeply, holding onto his old clothes, and placed them in his lap as he sat back down in the armchair. He watched as Bakura tied his hair back to keep the stray strands out of his face, and as he bent to pick up the book on the side table, Ryou was sure he saw a mark on the back of his neck…like an 'x' or something… But before he could see it, his hair covered it again.

Bakura held the book in his right hand, his left on his thighs again. "Now. I'll make a deal with you, Ryou. If you prove your worth to me…I won't keep you locked up like a bird day and night. But you must _prove _it to me first."

Ryou nodded quickly.

"Now, you have one hour to roam. I want you _in this room _by then. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." Ryou muttered as he stood up and exited the room, walking out into the hallway.

Bakura grumbled to himself as he opened the book at the marked page, flicking off the lights except for the lamp beside his bed.

Ryou walked down the wide corridor, feeling a little self-conscious of his outfit. He was too busy looking around, that he never noticed the figure as he turned the corner. He yelped as he slammed into the person, and quickly stepped back. "S-Sorry."

"Hey, it's fine." The person answered, smiling.

Ryou lifted his head, staring at the blonde for a long moment.

"Oh! You're the new guy, aren't you?" He asked, grinning. "I'm Malik."

"Ryou." The albino answered.

"…Hey…you look a lot like Master Bakura…" Malik muttered, tilting his head to one side a little. "Well, anyway, I'm guessing he gave you a roaming hour, eh?"

Ryou nodded slowly.

"Yeah, he does that with people when it's their first day. Otherwise he'll make you clean for a full hour." Malik sighed.

"What's your job then?" Ryou asked, frowning slightly.

"I have to clean the library. It's so _big _and I'm usually the only one stuck cleaning it."

"…Can I help?" Ryou asked suddenly.

"Sure, I don't see why not." Malik answered, grateful for Ryou's help.

The two walked off down the hallway, Malik in the lead, chatting away.

* * *

Chapter 1: End. 

A/N: Well, is it good or bad? Reviews are greatly appreceiated! -hint hint-


	2. Chapter 2

Wows. I got more reviews than I thought I would... -sets down candy jar for joo-

Hope you guys enjoy!

* * *

Bakura snarled, glaring at the grandfather clock that sat beside the closet door. He got to his feet, approaching the main doorway in the room, eyes narrowed down. _He's late._

The people in the halls glanced up as Bakura stormed past before continuing with their chores. It was so strange… Bakura never came out of his room at this time, and with the man still wearing his night clothes, it was a bit of a strange sight to see.

Bakura growled as he passed the library doors, and glanced through the crystal clear windows. His eyes narrowed further at the sight of Ryou bustling about, putting books on the shelves and dusting. The man pushed open the double doors and walked inside.

Malik's head snapped up, the blonde quickly rising to his feet with a clatter, leaving the table that was piled with books and paper slips. "M-Master Bakura!"

Bakura paused next to the table, dark eyes narrowed to mere slits. He watched Ryou turn as Malik said his name. Ryou smiled a little from his place on the ladder, hefting an armful of books to put away. "Did you need some-"

"Shut it." Bakura snarled, hands clenching into fists. "Get down here. Now."

Ryou's smile faded into nothingness, and Malik's lips curved into a frown. Ryou began to climb down, and as he reached the bottom, asked, "Is something wrong?"

"…You disobeyed me, Ryou." Bakura growled, folding his arms across his chest.

Ryou blinked in confusion, and opened his mouth to speak, but the past words suddenly blared into his once blank mind. _"…You have one hour to roam. I want you in this room by then…" _Ryou swallowed hard, twice. "…I…I was helping Malik-"

Ryou was cut off as Bakura lashed out with a strong, pale hand, seizing the collar of the gown Ryou was wearing. "You do not disobey my orders." Bakura growled, his grip tightening. "And an _hour late_ at that."

"M-Master Bakura, I-I can take his punishment. It's my fault for-"

"You've done nothing wrong, Malik. He chose to stay this late. He's the one in control of his actions. And _he's_ the one to receive a punishment."

Ryou's eyes widened to an impossible size, and in mere seconds, Bakura knocked him to the floor, the man pinning him down. Ryou whimpered, trying to push the male off of him, but Bakura far overpowered him in strength. "M-Master Bakura-"

"Don't feed me that!" Bakura screamed, harshly slapping the boy across the face.

Ryou whimpered, tears glistening in his eyes. No one had ever hit him like that before…and it hurt. He stole a glance at Malik, seeing him chewing on his bottom lip.

"Master Bakura…I apologize for questioning your reasons. But…don't you think that it's a little too early for punishment? I mean, it's only his first day…"

Bakura snorted. "And if I do that, he'll get _way_ too comfy. And then the rule-breaking will continue…"

Ryou protested weakly as he was yanked up, Bakura dragging him towards the doors by his wrist, "Continue on, Malik."

The blonde sighed slowly. "Yes, sir." He muttered, defeated.

Ryou lowered his gaze as he was pulled down the corridor. He could feel the others staring at him, especially since Bakura was literally dragging him along.

Bakura slammed the door to his room after he pulled Ryou inside, and finally let go of the teenager's wrist. Ryou's first impulse was to run, but knowing it would only make matters worse, he merely backed away until he bumped into the wall.

Bakura said nothing, approaching him. Ryou clamped his eyes shut as he pressed himself further against the wall, trembling slightly. Bakura snarled as he lashed out, grabbing him by the collar, and slammed him even harder into the wall. Ryou's eyes flashed open as he gasped in pain. "P-Please…s-stop it-"

"Shut up!" Bakura screamed, long fingernails digging into the fabric of Ryou's gown.

"…S-Stop it…please…" Ryou repeated, tears swimming in his eyes. He couldn't them back, his anxiety too much.

Bakura's eyes narrowed. "Stop crying." He growled, tightening his grip until his knuckles were near white. When Ryou didn't stop, his eyes narrowed to mere slits. "I said stop crying!" Bakura bellowed.

Ryou whimpered as Bakura forcefully slapped him, the force making his head turn. Ryou managed to slip right out of the man's grasp, and onto to the floor, and wrapped his arms about himself, crying harder.

"I said _stop!" _Bakura screamed, his deep voice ringing through the area.

Ryou shook his head, burying his face in his hands. He gasped as Bakura roughly grabbed his by his hair, tugging upwards sharply. Ryou managed to keep back a scream, Bakura pulling his head up by his hair, tilting his head back so that their gazes locked. The slap marks were reddening on Ryou's pale, smooth skin, and the boy's chin trembled, straining to hold back a new wave tears.

"…I…I'm sorry…p-please, Master Bakura…stop…please…stop it…"

Bakura's eyes widened just a little bit as Ryou's head bent forward, the teenager almost limp in his grasp. Bakura released him slowly, and walked off towards the door. "…You can skip your meals tomorrow. You're lucky I'm going so easy on you. Next time you disobey me, the consequences will be higher. Understand?"

Ryou nodded weakly, and Bakura stormed out of the room, making sure to slam the door.

* * *

Ryou merely sat there in silence at noon. The others were mostly laughing and chatting. Ryou sighed silently. He was so _hungry. _But knowing that Bakura would get even angrier with him, he chose to not eat like he was told. And with the Master sitting to his left, it didn't make things any easier.

Ryou glanced as up as Bakura flicked his glass gently with a fingernail, the clang sounding loudly. All fell silent in an instant, all heads turning towards Bakura. The man stood up with a clatter, eyes closed temporarily. He opened them, his voice ringing clearly into the area. "…As most of you know, today is the thirtieth. After the meal is over, you have the freedom to do as you please. But you know your limitations." Bakura sat down afterwards, and said in a whisper to Ryou, "Except for _you_. Report to my quarters after this."

All started up again. Ryou stood up abruptly, exciting the Dining Hall quickly. Bakura's dark eyes narrowed as he left, and stood up as well. Ryou raged down the hall, eyes glistening with crystal tears. _I hate him!_

It wasn't fair. One little mistake, and it ruined _everything_ for him. He paused at a voice. "Ryou? You okay?"

Ryou glanced over his shoulder, seeing Malik's head sticking out of the library doors. The albino sighed. "No, it's not. Bakura hates me, doesn't he? Why is he being so hard on me?! I just-"

"Ryou," Malik interrupted. "Master Bakura likes to set the ground rules first thing. He can be a little strict, yes, but he's really not that bad. Of course he maintains a cold complexion; it's how he stays dominant. He proves himself to the others, and proves that he's better, proves that he knows what he's doing, and such…"

"…Malik…he said…for me, going without food for a day wasn't a big deal. He said I'm lucky he's going easy on me. So…what other punishment does he use when he is disobeyed or you break a rule?"

Malik swallowed, hesitation showing in his voice. "…He'll beat you, Ryou."

Ryou froze, eyes wide. "…What?"

"You're lucky. I can tell…Master Bakura is giving you a chance, and a bigger opportunity than he gave us. When I came…things weren't in this order. It used to be a mad house. Bakura wasn't the Master back then… He was an ordinary servant, like the rest of us, although he was high in the ranks. Despite his looks and abilities…Master Bakura is actually much older than he looks. And when he became Master, the other one was put through the Ritual. And when Master Bakura first became in charge…no one listened to him for a while. But Master Bakura…proved his point…" Malik paused, biting his lower lip. "…I…managed to get off easy when it was my punishment; a few bruises and cuts and I was fine. But I've heard rumors about others…"

"What kind of rumors?"

Malik took a trembling breath, and lowered his voice to an undertone. "…I've…heard that Master Bakura-"

"Bakura does what?" A voice demanded, the source being the Master himself, a clawed hand lingering on his hip.

"N-Nothing, I-I was just explaining to Ryou-"

"You can explain to him later. He has business to take care of first." Bakura simply said, grabbing Ryou's wrist and began to pull him along. "Come, boy."

Ryou's eyes narrowed. _I hate you._

Bakura pulled Ryou into a room, where it was dark and there was absolutely no furniture in the room, except for the chandelier hanging in the ceiling. Bakura flicked the lights on, and turned to face Ryou, but not before locking the door.

"Let's get something straight, kid. You do as I say, no and, ifs or buts about it. Every action bears a consequence. Every day has a schedule. Every day bears an opportunity. You're in control of your decisions. And if the decision is a wrong, there comes a punishment."

Ryou stiffened as Bakura pushed him into the wall. "I know Malik has been telling you things. And if he tells too much, he knows his consequences. Malik is someone who stays in line. However, I think _you're_ one of the ones I'll have to keep an eye on."

Ryou tried to push Bakura away, but the Master far overpowered him.

"A common thief. A street rat." Bakura said in a dangerous whisper, his fingers tightening on the boy's shoulders. "And no matter how innocent a person looks, they always have a bad side."

Ryou tried harder to push the man away from him, but Bakura didn't budge. Not liking this, Ryou screamed out. "Get off of me!"

Bakura's eyes widened as Ryou managed to jerk an arm free, making his hand collide with the man's cheek. Bakura was frozen in shock, and Ryou's hand fell limp to his side, coming to a sick realization of what just happened.

"How _dare _you!" Bakura bellowed, knocking Ryou right to the floor, where long fingernails dug into his upper arms, Bakura sitting upon Ryou's legs at the knees. "_I _am the Master. _I _am in control. And I'll make you remember it. I'll make you regret your every choice…"

Ryou cried out as Bakura began to hit him. The blows hurt, and it felt like bruises were already appearing. A sharp attack to the face made Ryou cry out in fresh pain, and in milliseconds, Bakura yanked him upright, twisting his arm back. Ryou screamed as his shoulder cracked, pain searing into his straining bones. He desperately tried to push the man away, but he was far too strong…

Ryou couldn't be more relieved when a knock came at the door. Bakura glanced over to the wooden structure, a frown lingering on his lips. "What?"

"Master Bakura, your presence is requested in the Main Lobby."

Bakura snorted as he stood up, dusting himself off. "I'll deal with _you_ later." He muttered as he walked towards the door, unlocked it, and went outside, leaving Ryou alone.

Nursing his aching shoulder, Ryou shakily stood up, leaning against the wall, breathing hard. _I hate him! What have I done that's so wrong?! _Ryou mentally raged, storming out into the hallway. He entered Bakura's chamber, and felt a wave of exhaustion crash over him.

He almost instantly collapsed onto Bakura's huge bed, letting out a long sigh of relaxation despite his throbbing shoulder. His eyes began to grow heavy in seconds. _I don't care if I'm not allowed to be sleeping here. He doesn't like me anyway, so why should it matter? _Ryou thought to himself, clutching the pillow as his eyes fluttered shut. Crystal tears formed in the corner of his eyes, but he pushed them away.

Bakura, who was walking down the hallway, growled to himself. _It's always something… Especially when I'm in the midst of something._

Walking into the main lobby, he stopped at an unfamiliar face. "Master Bakura, someone is requesting your presence. He's waiting for you."

"Where?" Bakura asked, frowning.

The man pointed over his shoulder to the room behind him, which was made especially for relaxing in.

Bakura gave him a nod, and entered, the flames dancing in the fireplace.

"Well, well, Bakura. Long time no see."

* * *

Chapter 2: End.


	3. Chapter 3

Bakura grumbled as he walked across the room, sitting down in one of the armchairs, the flames in the fireplace glowing. "Marik."

"You don't sound very happy to see me…"

"Humph, I'm always interrupted when something important is going on. And there's this kid I took in not even a day ago that's annoying me to no end…" Bakura grumbled, rubbing his forehead.

"I see…" Marik frowned slightly. "But the main reason I came is to talk to you. The West has already corrupted in war…"

"Already?" Bakura asked with a frown. "It isn't even time for the new Ruler yet…"

"I know. But tensions are high and growing. Things are literally falling apart." Marik muttered with a sigh. "You know politics. One thing goes wrong and everyone freaks out."

"I think you need to rest first." Bakura grumbled, leaning back in his chair. "You even have circles under your eyes."

"I do not." The other argued.

"Yes you do. Now, change." Bakura commanded, pointing to the large wardrobe, "And go to sleep. There's a bed in the room attached to this. And that's an order." The Master said, getting up. "We can talk about this in the morning."

Bakura exited the room, briskly walking down the corridor. _Now to take care of Ryou…_

The man frowned, however, as he reached the previous room. The door was wide open, and empty. He could see a few fresh droplets of blood on the gray tile.

His frown deepened as he approached his bedroom, and opened the door in one swift moment, his mouth falling open at the sight of Ryou asleep on his bed. _What… _His thoughts ended as he walked over to the bed, frowning deeply. The bed was still made perfectly, the boy curled up in the middle, his head resting on his arm, but not the one Bakura had twisted around. He placed a clawed hand on the boy's shoulder, about to wake him up, but stopped.

Ryou's face was streaked with tears, cheeks reddened from where Bakura had slapped him. Bruises near purple in color were splattered across his body, which was trembling. The teenager was sleeping far from soundly, tossing and turning, and crying out in his sleep. Dots of blood showed on his arms from where he had dug into his arms with his nails.

Bakura sat down next to him, eyes lingering on the boy's face, which had turned into one of fear and pain. Bits of guilt were collecting in his stomach over the teen's condition, and he hated it. Why did it make him feel so bad? He hit people all the time like that for punishment, usually even harder… His thoughts were interrupted when Ryou screamed.

He couldn't breathe. He was struggling, trying to pry free, trying to get above the surface. But the hands only tightened on his head, pushing him under the water. He tried to take in some air, only to swallow water. He screamed, gasping, blood clouding his vision from the wound on his arm from a slash he had received earlier in an attempt at being caught.

And then the world went black.

Streams of pictures ran into his consciousness then. Memories. Words, people, dates and places… Holding his mother's hand, grasping his little sister's. Even a few of his father appeared. His parents sitting in the living room, the fireplace ablaze, snow falling hard outside. Him and his sister playing games, him reading stories to her at night…

And then it began to fade.

The car coming down the street; someone running a red light… And the two collided instantly. He could see himself, younger, racing down the street, bystanders glancing in the direction.

He pressed both hands up to the glass windows, peering inside. Tears began to fall from his eyes. There was blood. He was pulled away, screaming and kicking, trying to pry himself free and come back.

The funeral… He stood alone among the adults and neighbors. His father wasn't there. He was fidgeting with the black cuffs about his wrists, staring at the grave with tears in his eyes. He couldn't hold them back.

Darkness once more…and then an alarm went off. He could see himself racing down the street, being shot at, being jumped as he walked down the street…

And one day, his luck almost ran out.

He could remember getting caught, but he tried to escape, rushing past the edge of the lake. Being pushed under, the guard trying to drown him and get it over with.

There was a lapse in his memory; but something happened. The grip disappeared right as he fainted, positive he was going to die. But he awoke groggily, slowly, later on to find himself lying in the grass… Blood coating his forehead, gunshots, screams, flames of a fire growing larger…

Bakura growled, shaking the boy hard. "Wake _up_, already!" He screamed, shaking Ryou until his head rolled around.

Ryou gasped as his eyes flashed open. He was in a cold sweat, and his fears nearly tripled, adding to those of his memories and yet nightmares, when he saw Bakura staring down at him coldly.

Ryou weakly scooted away from the man, trying to inch backwards, but his arms were weak, and his shoulder was still in pain, so he didn't get far. He squeaked as he fell onto his back, whimpering as tears swelled in his eyes. "M-Master Bakura-"

"What are you _doing?" _Bakura asked in a dangerous voice, looming over the boy, a malicious glow in his eyes.

"I-I'm sorry… I-I fell asleep…" Ryou stammered, not looking the Master in the eyes. He just couldn't… "I…I was really tired and-"

Ryou's eyes widened as Bakura pinned him down, and growled, "Then what was with you crying out in your sleep?"

Ryou swallowed hard, remembering the terrifying images and painful memories. He was trying to hold back tears, and glanced up with large, hurt filled mocha eyes.

"Answer me!" Bakura screamed, his patience running thin.

Ryou instantly started to cry. He couldn't take it anymore. "I hate you! I hate you, Bakura!" The teenager screamed, tears racing down his cheeks. "I…I wish I never would've found you. At least then I wouldn't be pushed around like this and being beaten up just because I did one little thing wrong! Just because you're the Master doesn't mean you have the right to beat people just for breaking a rule! And I was only trying to help out around here! And what have I done that's so wrong?! Why do you keep treating me so different? You're supposed to be the Master; the one who's closest to the servants. And it seems to me that the only one who's being nice to me is Malik!" Ryou screamed, drawing himself up to his full height. "And-"

Bakura let out a snarl, interrupting Ryou as he roughly hit him across the face. Ryou tried to push the man away as Bakura shoved him down, flat onto his back, sitting upon his knees, disabling Ryou from kicking him. He grabbed both wrists in a strong, pale hand, yanking them above the teenager's head. "I've had _enough."_

Ryou's tear-filled eyes widened as Bakura extracted a small bottle with his free hand, and removed the stopper with his teeth, and shifted his position so that one leg was resting on his knees, where he was sitting, placing his foot on Ryou's wrists so that he had both hands free.

Ryou made a strangled sound as Bakura tried to pry his mouth open. Bakura, whose patience had ran out, merely grabbed the teenager's nose and squeezed it shut so he couldn't breathe.

Ryou eventually gasped, running out of air. The Master took his chance, dumping the contents of the bottle into his mouth and slammed his mouth shut, holding onto his jaw so he couldn't spit it out.

Ryou was forced to swallow, and Bakura got off of him. He lifted a shaking hand to his forehead, which was sweating, his entire body beginning to shake violently. _W…What's…going on? _He thought, the world about him spinning.

Bakura smirked in triumph as Ryou's eyes began to cloud over, and he leaned down, whispering into the teenager's ear, "You'll learn eventually, kid."

Ryou's vision plummeted into darkness, and he fell limp on the bed, eyes falling shut as he went dead to the world.

Bakura picked the boy up in a huff, dumping him outside his door, the boy falling hard to the floor. The guard outside the door glanced up quickly, and Bakura merely snarled, "Call Malik and tell him I said take this nuisance to his room."

The Master re-entered his chamber with a snarl, slamming the door so hard the pictures on the walls moved.

* * *

Malik bit his bottom lip, hard. Ryou was lying on his bed, utterly limp. His face was deathly pale, looking near the shade of a sheet of paper, and as he trailed a finger down his wrist, found his skin icy cold.

The blonde felt pity and sympathy form in his stomach for the teenager at his condition. Purple and blackish bruises decorated his skin, fingernail marks from Bakura's hands engraved in his upper arms. His face was tearstained, hair falling over his eyes.

"_I want you to take this pest to your room for the night."_

"_B-But why?" Malik stammered._

"_Do not question my reasons." Bakura growled, arms folded over his chest._

"_M-Master Bakura…d-did you use the potion on Ryou?" Malik asked. He never received a response. "Master?"_

"_Look, just get out and leave me alone!"_

Malik sighed. _He hasn't even caused that much trouble and Bakura used the potion on him already… He normally only uses that on higher trouble-makers… So Ryou must've done something that really ticked Bakura off…_

Malik chewed on his bottom lip before going outside the bedroom, talking to the guard that lingered against the wall. "Hey, tell the Reader he needs to come down here. I have a job for him." Malik stated, tossing a crumpled note across the hallway at the man, who ran off.

Malik took a seat beside Ryou, and sighed. _Master Bakura does have a low patience level. Although…it seems to be even lower for you, Ryou… It's weird. He normally doesn't start punishments until your second week here. And the potions don't normally come along until months of misbehavior._

…_Is it because you look like him? Perhaps you remind him of something or someone… Because the Master isn't too fond of his past…_

_But it still isn't fair. And making you skip meals isn't the best thing either…you're already so _thin_, Ryou…_

_But maybe you'll be able to make a difference._

Malik sighed as he heard a knock at the door. "Come in."

"You said you had an assignment for me?"

"Yes, actually. Master Bakura already used a potion on a newcomer, even though he's only messed up one time. Now, I'm doing this without Master's permission, so it must be kept a secret. I would like you…to see into a few things for me."

"All right. But you owe me for this."

_Don't worry, Ryou. I'm not going to let you down. _Malik thought to himself, sitting down beside the bed.

* * *

Chapter 3: End.


	4. Chapter 4

Agh, sorry for the late updates on the other fics... I'm still working on them, though just not as fast. Sorry. :( But I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

* * *

"So, is there anything wrong?" Malik asked, frowning and sitting beside the bed.

"His energy levels have plummeted. For some reason the potion is causing more harm than usual." The Reader responded, packing up his materials. "And as you requested, I pried into his consciousness."

"And? What did you find out?"

"He has a dark past, Malik. _Very_ dark… His memories are flashing; appearing and disappearing, and apparently, being relived." The man sighed. "I also saw the conversation between the Master and him. Let's just say…that it wasn't the friendliest."

Malik bit his bottom lip. "…Do you know if Ryou is going to be all right?"

"I honestly don't know. You know it takes a while got potion patients to awaken, and extra to readjust. But it seems that this boy's body isn't in the best condition. He's growing weaker, Malik. And the fever he possesses isn't helping either. He needs to get help before it gets too severe. Because if it does, he may never wake up."

Malik sighed deeply. "All right. Thanks, Seto."

"Whatever." The man grumbled, heading towards the door.

* * *

Bakura blinked, crossing his right leg over his left. "Now, then. You wanted to talk to me… But let me guess. It's all politics, isn't it?"

"Not exactly, no." Marik answered, sinking into the leather armchair. "There's more to it than that."

Bakura blinked, noticing the girl that silently entered the room, and, without a glance in the Master's direction, headed towards Marik. She took a seat beside the chair on the floor, and bringing her legs up to her chest, merely lowered her head to the cradle of her knees.

"…Well, now. Who's this?" Bakura asked, frowning.

"You have your servants, and I have mine. Simple." Marik answered, glancing down at the girl, who glanced up at him in return in silence.

Bakura blinked, frowning deeper. "I said _who_, not _what_."

Marik shrugged. "I don't know. We just call her Rain."

Bakura didn't answer, placing his chin in his hand and resting his elbow on the arm of the chair. "Whatever. But get her out of here. This isn't any of her business."

Rain lifted her head to glance up at the blonde, who sighed and moved his hand in direction of the door. She stood up silently, heading towards the other door, but paused, glancing over her shoulder at Marik with near soulless eyes that were almost a sea green. "…Tell me if you need anything, Master."

And she left, Bakura hearing the footsteps fade away. "Now then. As you were saying?"

"…Oh. Have you seen the statistics?" He asked. Bakura's eyes narrowed at comment. "Well, look at these." Marik said, rummaging through his bag and pulled out a stack of photographs, handing them over to the albino.

Bakura continued to frown as he shuffled through the photos. They were pictures of strange lights and markings, like marks on peoples' bodies, and engraves in walls. Pictures of the night sky filled with a bizarre mix of color, looking like huge streams.

"It's Magic, Bakura."

"Then the rumors must be true. These lights and marks just lead straight to the Magic use…" Bakura's eyes caught the long, black mark on Marik's left arm. "…I don't remember you having that the last time you were here…"

"I didn't. But I've got my own Mark since three years ago, Bakura. And even though people can't see yours at first…you still have one."

They both stopped as a knock came at the door, followed by a voice. "Master Bakura?"

"What do you _want_, Malik?" Bakura snarled. "Why am I always interrupted during important business?!"

"…It's…it's Ryou."

"What about him?" Bakura yelled. His patience was fading fast. "I don't care about him! Now leave me alone!"

"But Master-"

Bakura let out a strangled sound and jumped up, storming over to the door. "What's the big…" He froze, his eyes widening at the bundle in Malik's arms, which was Ryou. "…deal…"

Malik looked close to tears himself, holding tight onto the teenager. Ryou looked even smaller than he normally did, limp in Malik's grasp. "M-Master Bakura…he's…barely breathing."

Bakura felt his heart skip a beat. He took Ryou out of Malik's hands, holding onto Ryou with his left arm, and pointed into the hallway. "Go get a towel. I can handle the rest." He set Ryou down on the floor, and rummaged through the drawer. _This might get a little messy…_

Malik returned quickly, and got down on his hands and knees beside Bakura. He placed the towel on the floor, and Bakura Ryou down on top of it. Bakura grabbed Ryou's wrist and frowned, feeling Ryou's weakening pulse. "Apparently we don't have time for the normal procedure. We're going to have to do this the fast way."

Malik blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Bakura didn't answer him, instead rummaging through his back pocket and extracting a knife, slitting into his fingertips. He wiped his bleeding fingers across Ryou's sweaty forehead, smearing blood across. He placed his hands on Ryou's chest, his face heating up, and began to mutter a spell under his breath.

Malik gasped as a wind began to kick up, sending Bakura's hair out behind him, Malik's eyes widening. The black mark on the base of Bakura's neck was glowing now.

A strong light flooded the room, Malik shielding his eyes with his forearm.

Ryou whimpered softly. His lungs were hurting, his heart seeming to stop. And then a burning light pierced the darkness, and he could hear voices… He weakly tried to open his eyes.

The room was silent as Ryou slowly opened his eyes, which were blank. He sat up, his trembling arms supporting his weight. He could remember being in the room with Bakura…and then… He remembered the potion instantly, and his eyes widened.

"Take him outside." Bakura said simply, and stood up. "I don't have time for this."

Malik sighed and obeyed, gently taking Ryou's freezing cold arm. "Come on, Ryou." He said, pulling Ryou in the direction of the hallway. The teenager sank instantly to the floor, and began to tremble. "Ryou? Are…you okay?"

"L-Leave me alone." Ryou whispered, trying to scoot away.

"Ryou, it's Malik. Bakura's not here."

"O-Oh." Ryou said, and sniffed, lowering his gaze. "W-Why? Why did he do that?"

"…He…must've gotten frustrated with you. But…apparently he has a little bit of a soft spot for you. When I brought you into the room…his eyes filled with panic. He was the one who woke you up."

"W-What…happened to me?" Ryou asked, noticing the blood.

"…He gave you the potion. I had the Reader come to see you, who said you were growing weaker. And by this time, you were almost dead… Master Bakura used a spell to wake you up, though…

"The potion…is _supposed _to lower your energy levels and such. It's supposed to make you weak, and erase certain memories so that when you awaken…you don't remember much, and it makes it easier on Master Bakura. But for some reason…this didn't happen to you. It made you weaker than it was supposed to. It affected everything in a bad way, Ryou. If things didn't go like they did you probably would've died."

"…I saw a mark on the back of his neck, before, Malik. What…was that?"

Malik bit his bottom lip. "I…don't really know. I don't have one, so it must be for superior people or something like that. Don't tell anyone this, but…when Master Bakura did the spell a few minutes ago, that mark lit up. Master Marik has one too… I noticed it. It's on his arm…"

Bakura sighed as he flopped back down into the leather armchair. "_Anyway…" _He growled and sounding annoyed.

"…Have you heard, yet?"

"About what?" Bakura asked, frowning.

"I've heard some rumors…that the Ruler is about to go through the ritual. And while visiting the North… I came across _this_."

Bakura's eyes widened as Marik pulled out a thick, black book, lined with red. "You…found it? The legendary book?"

"Yes. Although, I can't read it…"

"Hang on, I'll go get someone. If they can't read it, I think we're screwed." Bakura said as he headed towards the door.

Ryou yelped as Bakura tripped over his outstretched legs, the Master stumbling, and almost fell. "You little-" Bakura growled, and grabbed Ryou's shirt collar, hoisting him off the ground.

"Go ahead. Do what you want. You hurt me and give me a potion that almost kills me, and then right after I wake up, you're already pushing me around." Ryou taunted, eyes narrowed.

"Ryou, hush." Malik hissed in an undertone.

Bakura's eyes narrowed as he roughly struck him, and dropped Ryou to the floor. As he hit the floor, the teenager glanced up, seeing the black book tucked under Bakura's arm. "M-Master, is t-that the book?"

"Why do you care?" Bakura snarled as his hands clenched.

"B-Because. They say…whoever can properly do everything, their happiness will be fulfilled, along with the greatest power ever seen…"

"…You can _read_ this crap?"

Ryou bobbed his head up and down quickly. "I found an excerpt when I was wandering the North. I met up with someone who translated the page for me, and taught me some of the phrases. Enough to read full sentences, anyway."

"Translate it." Bakura ordered, dropping the book into Ryou's hands.

Ryou seemed to think about it for a long moment, and then said, "No."

"…_What?"_

"I said no." Ryou repeated, tossing the book back up at Bakura.

"That's an order!" Bakura screamed. "You _listen_ to me!"

"Make me! You haven't done anything to deserve my help! All you've done is push me around and hurt me!" Ryou fought back, now up on his feet. "You should've just let me die and got me out of your way! Malik is the only one who's nice to me, and the only one who's actually giving me a chance! So I don't care what you think. You can give me whatever punishment you want. I don't care. I won't change. You can beat me like I've heard you do to the others. My body may be scarred and bruised, but I won't change. You can make me skip meals like you've already done. I guess I'll just keep losing weight and eventually develop some disorder. But oh well. I don't really care anymore. My past life and happiness and freedom ended a long time ago. So it doesn't really make a difference."

Bakura's fists were trembling at his sides. Without another word he stormed down the corridor in the opposite direction. _You'll learn your place eventually. Even if I have to beat it into your skull, you'll learn._

Ryou went off in the opposite direction, rubbing at his eyes. He never noticed the blood that trickled down his forehead. Bakura's blood.

* * *

Chapter 4: End.


	5. Chapter 5

NOTE: Rain is an OC, who is my friend in real life, who wouldn't leave me alone until I put her in this fic. xD

Anyway, thanks to the reviewers, and sorry for the wait! Hope you guys enjoy!

_

* * *

_

_I hate him. Why is he so mean to me?! _Ryou mentally raged, crying weakly into the pillow. _He doesn't deserve his place. He doesn't have a right to beat people like he does. He doesn't have a right to do the other things he's doing either._

Ryou growled bitterly. Even the thought of Bakura right now made him mad. _But that tattoo is still nagging at me. And Malik said the man Bakura was talking to had a tattoo as well… So what're they for?_

He froze as he heard heavy footsteps outside of his bedroom door, followed by the door slamming open seconds after, revealing Bakura's tall and lean frame. The man's brown-red eyes were narrowed to slits, his expression drawn into a scowl.

"What do you want? Just go away and leave me alone."

Bakura snorted, walking across the room and over to Ryou's bed. "And why should I do that? Why do you deserve me leaving you alone after the way you've acted towards me?! _No one_ says no to me!" He screamed, harshly slapping Ryou's face on the cheek.

Ryou glowered up at the albino ruler, fuming silently. His hate and anger and other hateful emotions were building rapidly.

"And I've _had enough_."

Ryou gasped almost silently as Bakura leapt onto the bed, pinning Ryou down into the mattress, thin, pale fingers digging into his forearms, long, sharp nails drawing blood. Ryou's eyes widened as Bakura roughly knocked him off the bed and onto the floor, still on top of him, and snarled.

Ryou gave a bloodcurdling scream, and in an instant, Bakura had extracted a knife, and had roughly jabbed it into the teen's backside. Ryou's head bowed, a curtain of white hair hiding his face, and his arms trembling.

"Maybe now you'll learn to do as you're told!" Bakura bellowed, extracting the blade, and forced Ryou onto his bleeding back.

Ryou's eyes grew wide as Bakura roughly slammed the blade into his shoulder, twisting the metal harshly. Ryou screamed loudly, wriggling in pain. His eyes snapped shut in pain, fighting tears.

The people outside merely glanced sadly at each other, able to hear Ryou's screams through the walls. They knew what was going on. It wasn't like Bakura had gone easy on any of them, either.

Ryou was sprawled on the floor, crying weakly. Bruises from Bakura's blows were already forming, and wounds bled, getting crimson on the floor. Lash marks were streaked on his body, Bakura's belt cast on the floor. Ryou cried out softly as his arms broke from under him, no longer able to support his weight, and he collapsed.

"Get up!" Bakura screamed, eyes glimmering with fury. When Ryou didn't do so, he roughly seized the boy's throat. "Get _up!"_

Ryou wilted instantly in Bakura's hands. The teenager was unused to so much pain, unused to blood flowing out of his body and being beaten like this. He was horribly weak now, and his breathing was shallow.

There was a knock at the door. "Master Bakura?"

"What?" Bakura growled, and the door eased open.

Malik timidly stepped inside, but froze instantly. Ryou, being held roughly by his neck, bleeding and bruised, and Bakura grasping a bloody knife with no mercy in his features… "M-Master Bakura…y-you're going to-"

"I am aware of what I'm doing, Malik." Bakura snarled, squeezing Ryou's neck harshly. "Now, what do you want? I have business to attend to."

Malik's eyes grew wide as Bakura pinned Ryou's arm behind him, harshly doing it until Ryou's shoulder cracked, the boy screaming. But Bakura merely continued to push the muscles, pinning his arm back further.

"M-Master Bakura! Y-You're hurting him!"

"I know that! That's the whole point!" Bakura screamed back at him.

"I-I…h-hate you." Ryou wheezed suddenly, panting now, his chest rising and falling sharply. "Y-You're just…an arrogant, selfish person who thinks they can get whatever they want. You think you can get people to submit to you by hurting them and abusing them and ruining them. But it's…quite the opposite. You only make them your enemy that way. You don't deserve any of this… And-"

Malik's eyes grew even wider and Bakura silently rammed the knife into Ryou's side. "Silence, mortal." Bakura hissed, and Malik was sure he saw the Master's eyes flash pure red.

But Ryou chose to disobey. "I…wish we never met. At least then I could still be out on the streets without listening to your crap all the time! And I wouldn't have to worry about someone beating me just to get me to listen! No. But instead I'm here, listening to the 'Master' and his lectures and having to deal with you giving me potions that almost kill me and stab me and beat me and everything else!" Ryou screamed, eyes glistening with tears. "And I _hate it!"_

Bakura's eyes flashed crimson, baring his pearl white teeth, which were gritted. "Then I'll just put you out of your misery!"

Malik gasped, seeing the tattoo on the base of Bakura's neck glowing now. "Die, mortal!"

Ryou screamed, writhing in pain. He screamed even louder as a slash suddenly slit down his front, and then on his arms, the slashes continuing, and developed into wounds, bleeding. He could feel a wind blowing over his face suddenly, and he stared upwards, Bakura's unmerciful eyes glowing pure red.

"M-Master Bakura! Stop it, please." Malik begged.

Bakura snarled, roughly slapping Ryou's face again. "Don't you _ever_ disobey me again." He hissed in an undertone, and got up from the floor, the tattoo no longer glowing. The Master picked up his belt and slid it into the loops on his black pants, fastening it before raging out into the hallway as if nothing happened.

Malik scampered over to Ryou, forgetting instantly what he came here for in the first place. The male gently eased Ryou into a sitting position, Ryou managing to clench back a scream.

Ryou didn't fight as Malik helped him stand up, and helped him to the bed. Ryou gasped weakly as Malik's hand came in contact with his throbbing back, and he tried to squirm away.

"Ryou. I know it hurts. But if we take off your shirt you won't have to worry about your wounds reopening and we can stitch them up if required."

Ryou didn't answer, but relaxed slightly as Malik slowly lifted the albino's shirt. Ryou screamed loudly as it reopened some of his wounds anyway, and he arched his back in pain. He couldn't be more relieved when Malik managed to pry the covering off.

Malik grimaced at the deep gouge in Ryou's shoulder, stretching to his upper arm. Getting up, he rummaged through the dresser, extracting a handful of items and went back over to the bed.

Ryou whimpered as Malik forced him to sit up. The boy clutched the bed sheets tightly.

"Ryou, I'm just going to warn you. This is going to hurt."

Ryou clenched his teeth as the needle injected into his shoulder. He barely contained a scream as Malik began to stitch up the wound. Soon he couldn't hold it in any longer, and screamed loudly, his body contrasting sharply.

Malik stiffened as Ryou jerked, and struggled to continue stitching up the slash. He finished not too longer after, leaving a large, black line engraved in the teen's shoulder.

"Malik…w-why does he hate me?" Ryou asked, looking up at him, soft brown eyes glistening with tears.

"…I don't know, Ryou." Malik said softly.

"…I hate him. He doesn't deserve what he has. He doesn't deserve to be a Master. You'd be better than Bakura so much easier, Malik. Why doesn't he just realize that you don't have to hurt people to get them to do what you want? Why can't he just grow a little closer to his servants instead of beating them?!"

Ryou weakly pushed himself off the bed, and headed towards the door.

"Ryou, where're you going?! You need to stay here and rest!"

"The library." Ryou said simply, his shirt in hand, and draped it across his shoulders. Without another word he headed out into the hallway.

The boy received many stares as he staggered down the hallway, some wounds still bleeding slightly, the large black line flowing across his pale shoulder that was now stained with blood. He limped towards his destination, a hand on the wall for support.

He managed to pry open the heavy library door, and staggered inside. Stumbling over to the shelves, he gasped as the room gave a violent spin. He pressed a hand to his forehead, his eyes clouding over slightly. The pain inside of him was growing…

Ryou screamed loudly, a flash of light appearing from his chest as he threw apart his arms in pain, head bent backwards.

Bakura, who was standing outside the library on the opposite side, frowned as he saw a light through the windows. Walking about to get a better view, he gasped.

Ryou's body curved as the light disappeared. He crumbled instantly, collapsing instantly to the floor, his shirt slipping from his shoulders. The boy didn't get back up.

Bakura darted into the room, and ran up to the teenager. Ryou was still shockingly awake, lying there, trembling. "G-Get away f-from me." Ryou snarled, visibly stiffening.

Ryou tried to stand up, but he couldn't. He was too weak now, and lost too much blood. The world was spinning around him violently, and his stomach was churning. He could smell blood, and it was making him sick.

Bakura took a surprised step back as Ryou gagged, almost throwing up. The boy was trembling harder, straining to get on his hands and knees. The man felt strangely slightly guilty at the visible stitches in the albino's shoulder, running across and curving into his upper arm. _Did I… No. Why do I care?! It doesn't matter to me. He's nothing._

"W-What are you standing here f-for? G-Get out of here and g-go away. Y-You don't care a-about me, a-and t-the only reason you probably came here w-was because…of that light…" Ryou choked out, coughing hard, and squeezed his eyes shut in pain.

He felt cold. Horribly cold… The world continued to violently spin, faster and faster. His stomach twisted, and so did his heart. His entire body hurt so badly, and he didn't really care that Bakura was seeing him without a shirt right now. Besides, it showed the Master how violent he really was.

Bakura's eyes grew wide as Ryou screamed again, arching his back in sheer pain. Blood oozed from a wound in the boy's chest… Ryou was panting, and suddenly, the room grew pitch black. Everything stopped.

Bakura watched as Ryou's arms broke from under him, and collapsed in a dead faint. The man blinked, and slowly hauled Ryou up, the teen's pale, bloodied chest heaving. Tainted white hair fell over his eyes, which were closed now.

"…What…is making me feel guilty about hurting this kid?!" Bakura raged, eyes flashing as he gritted his teeth.

Despite it, he dragged Ryou down the hall, and stopped in his bedroom. The man entered his abode. Ryou was set down on Bakura's bed, and the Master frowned hard.

He ran a pale, thin finger over the stitches, Ryou whimpering. Bakura scowled, and snarled, turning away instantly and stomped towards the door.

Something just made him mad.

* * *

Chapter 5: End.


	6. Chapter 6

Ryou awoke groggily the next morning. Sleepily he lifted his head, rubbing his eyes with his hand, and slowly sat up. He gasped as pain flooded through his shoulder and chest, the previous places where wounds and lash marks aching. But he crawled out of bed slowly, confused when he realized he was in Bakura's room.

He quietly came out of the room, and walked down the large hallway. He was wearing a newer outfit he had gotten from Malik, merely a set of a short-sleeved shirt, the hem ending at the start of his thighs, and jeans with holes in the knees.

He could hear people talking in the Dining Hall. Apparently it was breakfast…

Frowning, Ryou glanced about for something to do. His shoulder hurt too much to be hefting books around, so helping Malik out today was out of the question. _Maybe I should…just take a walk… Maybe…it'll help me clear my head…_

Ryou walked about, before he noticed a staircase made of glimmering wood, the handrail unpainted and smoothed. Ryou ascended the steps, and he soon grew tired, coming to a stop on the third floor. He smiled a little as he looked out of the crystal clear windows.

The ground was a vast green, filled with trees. A marble driveway came up the center, leading up to the main door. He noted that over the far right of the trees was a small pond, the water almost transparent, and a gazebo.

Ryou's smile faded. It reminded him so much of his past life…when freedom still existed. Sadly he turned away from the scenery and kept going.

He glanced at the walls as he traveled. Paintings and beautiful sketches hung on the walls, golden frames shimmering. He noticed there were nameplates, apparently from old Masters and servants. He noticed that the servant frames weren't nearly as grand as the Master ones.

Continuing on, he noticed a grandfather clock, golden brown, with the pendulum swinging by with each tic of the seconds. He tore his eyes from the object and noticed a sketchbook sitting alone on the table. Curious, he picked it up, flipping through it. It was completely empty and untouched. Ryou smiled to himself, and picked up the lone pencil lying there.

With the book in his hands, he kept walking, taking frequent stops to admire it all. He was a little jealous of this wonderful place, yet absolutely fascinated at the same time.

He found an empty seat in the windowsill to sit in. He smiled to himself as he flipped open the sketchbook, pressing the pencil against the paper, the sun outside reflecting off his hair, and it being the only light he needed right now. He was in his own world.

-

Bakura growled. He had gone to wake Ryou up, but his bedroom was empty. Why had the boy not gone to him before he ran off? Bakura's eyes narrowed at the mere thought of it.

"Malik!" Bakura shouted, yanking the teen sharply by the back of his shirt. "Where's Ryou?"

"I-I don't know. I-I haven't seen him since yesterday…" Malik took an anxious step back as Bakura released him, raging past. _What in the world is wrong with him…?_

Bakura stormed up and down hallways and floors, all the while muttering to himself. And finally he ran out of places to look and traveled to the third floor.

After searching the first half, he walked past the hallway with the thousands of windows and the walls lined with pictures in frames. He froze as he noticed Ryou.

The boy was curled up in the windowsill, which was painted a brilliant white. His legs were against his chest, his head leaning backwards while his forehead brushed the crystal glass. There was a peaceful smile coating his lips.

Bakura blinked, noticing the pencil clutched in the boy's right hand as he approached. _What… _He thought to himself, and noticed the corner of the book sticking out from Ryou's knees. He pried it loose, and opened it, frowning.

Pictures. Thousands of pictures… Beautiful sketches and doodles, shaded and non. Bakura's brow knitted as he flipped through the book, and froze as he came to a page.

It was him. Bakura's shaking fingers traced his own picture, amazed at the similarities and details. But it almost scared him… Narrowed eyes were shaded darkly, white hair falling over them partially. His mouth was firm into a frown. White hair flowed over the sides of his face and down his neck, running over his shoulders. The bloodied knife was in one hand.

Bakura swallowed. Did…he really look like that when it happened?

Shaking it off, he quickly turned the page. He stiffened instantly. This one…

He could tell it was Ryou. The boy was sprawled on the grass, blood oozing down his forehead. He could see the flames in the distance, the unconscious boy near the water's edge of a lake of some sort…

He turned the page again, and felt a little relieved. A happier picture… He glanced out of the window Ryou was seated in, and then back down at the picture. The two were just about identical in every way possible. And as he flipped through a little more, he noticed more scenery, identical to the world around him at the very moment. He noticed Ryou's little signature slashed somewhere in the picture, mostly the corners.

Ryou murmured something softly in his sleep. Bakura groaned almost silently, and put the book back in the boy's lap. Gently he shook Ryou's shoulder. The teenager made a quiet noise, stirring, his chocolate brown eyes easing open slowly.

Ryou gasped as he came face to face with the Master, his fears rising as his heart went into his throat. He tried to inch back, but he had nowhere to go.

Bakura raised his hand slightly.

Ryou whimpered, afraid of him. He was sure the Master was going to hit him, and he quickly squeezed his eyes shut, trembling slightly. He couldn't help it. He didn't want to feel that pain again…

Bakura stopped, his hand pausing in midair. Usually he would love seeing a servant in fear like this, with a sickening delight, but there was something wrong. He strangely didn't feel that…

Ryou eased his eyes open when he didn't feel anything. He stared up at Bakura with confusion across his features, big mocha orbs wide and glimmering.

Bakura growled and turned away, his back to the boy. "Get a move on." He muttered dryly.

"B-But…" Ryou whispered desperately. He straightened, his shoulder throbbing instantly. He whimpered almost soundlessly, his hand going to his shoulder, clutching it in pain.

"No excuses. Get going." Bakura said coldly, looking over his shoulder at the boy.

Ryou weakly tried to stand up, his free hand tightly clutching the sketchbook, his other curled about his shoulder. He managed to get to his feet, but exhaustion bit down on his body, and not having anything to eat in a long while, he was weaker.

Bakura stood perfectly still as Ryou collapsed to his knees, hunched over and almost in tears. The boy was cradling his injured shoulder gently. It sickened him how he felt a tinge of guilt. "Get up."

"I-I…I can't…" Ryou whispered. His head was bowed, white hair hiding his face, which was glowing from the rays of bright sunlight.

"Yes you can. Now, get up!" Bakura yelled, patience growing thin. When Ryou didn't respond or move, he angrily grabbed Ryou's shirt.

Ryou screamed beyond loudly as his shoulder was jostled. He looked really close to tears now, shaking in the man's grasp. And he started to cry as Bakura's cold eyes began to stare deep into his figure, the teen taking an anxious step back.

Bakura's eyes widened as Ryou pulled away from him, crying freely and openly. Ryou was clutching the sketchbook tightly. Ryou continued to back away, shaking violently and crying. And as Bakura took a step forward, Ryou clamped his eyes shut, and screamed.

Bakura's eyes grew even wider as Ryou backed away further, towards a window. The man took a step forward, Ryou backing further away. "G-Get away from me…" Ryou whispered, shaking further.

"Don't-" Bakura froze as Ryou pressed closer to the window, mere inches from it. He took hurried steps towards the boy, eyes wide. "Don't!"

Ryou rushed backwards. His eyes grew wide, unaware of what just happened, at least until a gush of wind flew over his face, his hair being sent fluttering. Bakura was rapidly growing smaller…

"You idiot!" Bakura screamed, rushing over to the open window that Ryou had accidentally fallen out of. Cursing in an undertone, he clambered into the windowsill, prying off his trench coat. Someone happened to be passing by right then, and he quickly threw his coat at them. "Take that to my quarters." He growled before spreading his arms.

The servant gasped as Bakura leapt from the window and out into the world outside.

Bakura's eyes were narrowed, body curved in a specific position to increase his speed. The wind rushed into his face, sending his hair billowing out behind him. The lace parts of his clothes were fluttering.

Ryou eyes were beginning to close. The three-story fall was getting to him now. He was aware that he was falling, but not knowing Bakura was coming after him. He knew his death was coming, and surely he was a goner if he hit the ground.

Ryou gasped suddenly. Bakura was a mere foot away from him. Dark eyes were narrowed because of the wind, hair blowing about him, like feathers lost from angel wings. The boy was unsure of how close the ground was, because his back was facing it. He was too weak to fight as Bakura grew even closer.

Bakura quickly grabbed hold of Ryou, wrapping his arms about the small of his back. Ryou didn't fight it, and almost instantly, he fainted, the fall being too much on his body.

Bakura felt relief. At least now the boy couldn't see what was going to happen…

As the ground was growing closer, Bakura's hands tightened. The tattoo, revealed due to Bakura's hair being blown about, lit up almost instantly. His eyes narrowed further as a peculiar light glowed about him, and his body suddenly came to a halt, no longer falling through the air. He hovered there for about half a minute, pupils contracting just slightly. The Master shook his head, pressing a hand to his forehead as his pupils returned to normal.

He lowered himself to the ground, and stumbled. His legs were shockingly numb. But despite it, he walked towards the main door, hefting an unconscious Ryou in his left arm. He headed instantly towards his room.

"M-Master Bakura!" Malik stuttered fearfully, standing outside Bakura's bedroom door. His heart rose into his throat instantly.

Bakura staggered towards the door, Ryou in his left arm, his right hand clenched into a tight fist. Ryou was paled, still clutching his little book of pictures.

"…M…Master Bakura?" Malik asked, frowning. Bakura didn't answer him.

The man went into the room, dumping Ryou on his bed. He growled in pain, pressing his hand tight against his forehead. "Malik…"

"Sir?" Malik asked, frowning. He didn't like how the Master was acting…

"I…I think I have a migraine." Bakura muttered, tightening his grip.

Malik swallowed, unsure of what to do now. He gasped as Bakura sank to the bed, cradling his forehead in his hands, letting a low growl of pain. "M-Master?"

Bakura didn't answer. He growled loudly, clutching his forehead tightly. The world about him was spinning, and he was feeling entirely sick to his stomach.

"Master Bakura!" Malik screamed as Bakura fell off the bed and onto the floor. Malik rushed to the Master's side, Bakura sprawled on the floor. His eyes were open, though completely engulfed with shadows, utterly blank. They fell closed quickly, the tattoo on the base of Bakura's neck glowing for milliseconds before it stopped.

Malik swallowed hard, gently easing Bakura to an upright position. He directed his voice to the hallway, shouting for assistance.

Malik stood up as two servants entered the room, picking the limp Bakura up. They seemed startled by the Master's sudden collapse…

Malik watched as the man was carried out of the bedroom. He frowned hard. This was bad. If Bakura was out cold for more than a day, things would surely plummet…

_What exactly is going on here? _Malik thought, frowning deeply. He briefly rested his hand on Ryou's shoulder. "Sorry, Ryou. But I have to help Bakura right now."

It took a lot of him to tear himself away from his friend. But he did it, running down the hallway and after Bakura, who was already being directed into a ward.

* * *

Chapter 6: End.


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks for the reviews everybody! Now, I also want to say thanks for your patience on 'Not Exact Reflection', sorry it hasn't been updated in a while. But I just wanted to let you know I'm still working on it. :)

* * *

Ryou's eyes flickered, easing open slowly. He felt terribly weak and dizzy. Whimpering, he tried to sit up. With a small cry he collapsed back onto the bed, his entire body searing with sheer pain. His brain suddenly registered where he was, and his eyes instantly snapped open wide in shock. He could remember falling out of the window, and Bakura coming after him… But then the memory slammed into a dead end. Did…Bakura actually save him?

Confused, Ryou tried to sit up, trembling. He managed to do so, his entire body throbbing with pain. He felt abandonment when he realized he was completely alone in the room. Not even Malik was there…

Slowly and painfully, he clambered out of bed. His entire body hurt so much… Weakly, he staggered towards the door, nearly collapsing, and he had to use support from the wall to walk.

Ryou froze as he came into the hallway. There was a huge flock of people crowded around a door at the end of the hallway. Slowly and weakly, the boy made his way towards the huge crowd of people.

As he reached the group, he had to stop. Ryou leaned against the wall, his breathing already harsh and heavy. His entire body was aching with pure pain. He glanced up at a voice as it echoed into the hall. "All of you, get out of here! You have jobs to do! And if Master Bakura sees this, I can guarantee you there's a punishment coming." The voice boomed.

It took no more. The crowd dispersed, scattering, the servants walking briskly to their destinations. Soon the hall was in normal order again, Ryou being unnoticed.

With shaky, painful steps, Ryou made his way into the doorway. He froze, his heart skipping at least a couple beats.

The room had three people inside. Malik was seated beside the bed, another man, looking closely identical to Malik, standing on the other side. A man in a crisp, white shirt and black jeans was there was well. He was hovering over the bed, all three males scowling. He noticed the figure of someone lying in the bed.

"Malik?" Ryou asked softly, leaning heavily against the wall, in a deep stage of raging, growing pain.

Malik's eyes widened, all three men looking at him instantly. "Ryou, what are you doing in here? You need to rest!"

"…What's going on?" Ryou asked, ignoring Malik's concerns.

Malik bit his lip as Ryou approached the bed. "Ryou…" He whispered, dreading how the boy would react.

Ryou froze as he came to the bed, positive he felt his heart stop. His hand went unconsciously to his mouth, covering it, eyes wide.

Bakura was lying in the bed, skin pale. The sheets ended at his chest, wrinkled slightly, his slender hands resting upon them. His head was placed on the fluffy pillow, white hair falling over closed eyes, and cascading down the pillow and down his back. What frightened the boy most was how there was an oxygen mask clasped over the Master's lower face, an IV pierced into the man's wrist. Dark circles were taking form under the man's eyes.

"What…happened to him?" Ryou stammered fearfully.

Malik shook his head, making stray strands of blonde hair fall into his eyes. "We're not exactly sure. But we think it has something to do with his powers or his Mark."

"But…w-why is t-that mask on his face?" Ryou stuttered, eyes wide.

"…Because…he's not breathing as well as he's supposed to." Malik said softly, directing his attention back to the Master.

The other tanned boy stared at Ryou for a long while, frowning. Hadn't this kid been brought into the room during the meeting with him and Bakura? He scowled further, remembering how Malik- although he didn't remember any names right now- carrying the boy into the room. Bakura…had performed a procedure on him, right?

"…Then…that tattoo he has…is called a Mark?" Ryou asked. There were so many questions he had, and not nearly enough answers…

"Yes." Malik answered simply.

Ryou looked at the other man standing on the other side. He frowned, noticing a black mark etched into his arm, revealed by his short sleeves. "…Um…"

"Oh, right. I forgot." Malik said, smacking his palm against his forehead. "Ryou, this is Master Marik. Master Marik, Ryou."

The two locked gazes for a long while before Marik looked away, muttering lowly, "Whatever."

"…Master Marik…" Ryou said, hesitating a little by the man's cold appearance and bit of bad attitude. "…Is…that a Mark on your arm?"

Marik looked up, frowning deeply at Ryou. He then looked down at his arm, tracing over the black line flowing down. "…Perhaps. It's none of your business."

Ryou swallowed hard. Why did all the Masters have such negative positions?

Suddenly the man in the white and black spoke, eyes narrowing. "He's not responding."

"Go get the Reader." Malik said instantly. Seto had some of the highest skill, even as medical treatment…

The man rushed out of the room and returned about three minutes later, Seto trailing him, coat fluttering.

Ryou noticed the tall brunette look at him oddly before going to the Master's side. Although Ryou didn't know it, Seto had looked him over when the potion was going out of control, and it was still in the man's memory. Ryou blinked in confusion.

Seto frowned, and dismissed the first man, who hurried off. The tall boy hovered over the Master, scowling. "…You said he's not responding, correct?"

There was a nod from Malik and Marik.

Seto sighed, undoing the mask from Bakura's pale face. "We should try to wake him up, first of all." He stated before extracting a bottle from his coat pocket. Removing the rubber stopper, a strange scent escaping the container, he put it under the Master's nose.

Bakura coughed hard, before the mask was refastened about his lower face.

There was dead silence as Bakura's eyelids fluttered. They opened just a crack before falling closed again, and then started to ease open again, before snapping shut.

"He's weakened right now. But at least we know he's stable enough to stay in consciousness, although I would keep the mask on him for a while." Seto stated before pressing a firm hand against the Master's forehead, and frowned deeply in thought. There was a long silence.

"Who's that?" Ryou whispered to Malik in an undertone.

"That's Seto. He's the Reader, meaning he can see into people's consciousness and bodies. He's high in medical stuff too, being one of the really smart guys here." Malik whispered back.

Ryou blinked tiredly. He was exhausted…

"…His energy levels are severely down," Seto muttered. "I'm sure it has something to do with his power…" The brunette removed his hand. "I'll get some materials. We can't let this get out of control."

The man left after that, leaving the three boys and Bakura alone in the room. All heads turned towards Bakura as the man's head turned just slightly.

Bakura strained to open his eyes. He managed to open them just a little, the room about him nothing but a huge smudge. Exhausted, he closed his eyes momentarily, resting.

Ryou was sure he felt his heart temporarily stop as Bakura slowly opened his eyes. The orbs were blank, the irises engulfed in darkness, his eyes looking glassy. They fluttered, the man apparently straining to keep his eyes open.

Malik stiffened as Bakura's head turned just a little, the man looking blankly at him.

Bakura was breathing hard, and although the oxygen mask was tied about his face, he still felt as though he couldn't breathe. His vision cleared just enough to see the blurred figures about him. He managed to figure out that Malik was sitting beside him, and Marik on the other side. He didn't notice Ryou, his white hair making him blend with the white smudges in the man's vision.

"…Malik…?" Bakura whispered, almost croaking out the words. His voice cracked, and the man closed his eyes.

"Master Bakura, please, just go back to sleep." Malik said quickly, seeing how visibly exhausted the man was.

Bakura's lips curved into a small smile, exhaustion visible in dark orbs. But he said nothing.

"…Master Bakura?" Ryou asked timidly, fidgeting. His head was hurting now, and he was straining to stay awake.

Bakura slowly looked at him, his smile fading. _What…is he doing here?_

There was a great tension between the two albinos. Ryou swallowed, and whispered quietly, "D…Did I…do something wrong?"

"What do you mean, did you do something wrong?!" Bakura screamed, sitting upright, tearing off the mask about his face.

"Master Bakura, please-" Malik begged, grabbing the man's forearm.

Bakura merely snapped free. His head hurt, the room spinning, his stomach churning, and he couldn't breathe. The pain was growing rapidly inside him. But he didn't care. His rage was enough to distract him.

"I…I'm sorry…I…I didn't-"

"Knock it off!" Bakura screamed, his eyes narrowing.

"B-But I-" Ryou stopped. Bakura was out of the bed in one swift movement, at the end, and lashed out, grabbing his neck. The IV remained in his wrist. "M-Master…"

"Don't feed me that." Bakura hissed in a dangerous voice. "This is all your fault. I had to risk my life just to save your own sorry one."

Ryou's eyes were glimmering with sadness and shock. He swallowed, and lowered his gaze silently.

"I told you. Everyone has a dark side, no matter how innocent they look." Bakura pulled Ryou a little closer. "I hate you, kid. You've caused me enough trouble. I should just lock you up for all the trouble you've done."

Ryou's eyes widened. His eyes were swelling with tears. "N-No! Please… I…I…" But his mind was frozen with shock. He couldn't believe this. He couldn't be locked up like an animal, he just couldn't. His memories were flowing into his mind now, the taste for his own free life fresh.

"Malik." Bakura muttered, hand still wrapped about Ryou's neck. "Get someone to take Ryou downstairs. I don't want to see him ever again."

Something inside Ryou shattered at those comments.

Malik's eyes widened as Ryou started to cry, angrily slapping Bakura across the face and darted out of the room. "M-Master Bakura, I'm sorry, but I need to go after him."

When the man didn't answer, Malik stood, and hurried after the boy.

Bakura's eyes narrowed as he traced the reddening mark on his cheek with his fingertips. His rage was out of control now…

Ryou was sobbing as he ran down the hallway, rushing past servants and other people in the hallways. He slid around the corner, nearly knocking down two people, and kept running. He kept going aimlessly, just wanting to escape.

"Ryou! Ryou, wait!" Malik yelled as he ran after the boy.

_No. No, no, no!_ Ryou mentally screamed, more hot tears cascading down his ivory cheeks. In a mad rush he ran towards the nearest staircase, hurriedly racing up them, ignoring his dizziness and how faint he was becoming, growing more lightheaded and weak by the second. The pain was returning, especially in his shoulder and chest.

"Ryou, come back!" Malik shouted as he ran after Ryou, climbing the stairs.

Ryou kept running, as fast as his long legs allowed. He darted towards the nearest window, which happened to be open. He got into the windowsill, and swallowed. He wanted to fly. To fly and escape this dungeon he was now unable to get free of. Anything, he'd do it, just to have his freedom back.

"Ryou, don't!" Malik screamed as he grabbed Ryou's arm, right as the boy was about to jump out of the window. He pulled Ryou back inside. "What are you doing?!"

Ryou was wailing, and broke free of Malik's grip, and sank to the floor, sobbing loudly into his hands, shoulders shaking and trembling violently. He pulled away from Malik's touch as the teenager tried to help him stand. "D-Don't. J-Just go away."

"Ryou…I'm sure he doesn't mean it…" Malik said, trying to calm the boy down.

"I don't care!" Ryou screamed, chocolate eyes hardening as more tears spilled down his cheeks. "He should've just let me hit the ground. The fall would've killed me. At least then I'd be away from him and he'd be away from me."

Malik's expression softened. He couldn't help but feel incredibly sorry for the boy. He tried again to softly touch Ryou's shoulder, but Ryou pulled away instantly.

Ryou looked up as a shadow fell into view. He swallowed hard, seeing Marik standing there. He instantly looked away, crying freely.

"…Bakura wanted me to take you downstairs." The man said emotionlessly, and approached the two teens.

Ryou gasped, trying to pull away as the man grabbed his forearms. He found this man far overpowered him, and he couldn't do a thing to escape. Desperately he shouted for Malik. "Malik! MALIK! Help me! Help me, please…" Ryou begged. But his cries were in vain as Malik was left behind, Marik forcefully pulling him down the stairs.

And soon he was being pulled down the stairs leading to the basement, or more of a dungeon. Ryou was still crying, not looking at the blonde in front of him.

He whimpered as he was shoved roughly, tripping and collapsed to his knees in an enclosed cell. The room was spinning rapidly about him, and the lack of healthy oxygen was making it hard for him to breathe.

_I…I want…to…go home… _Ryou thought silently. More tears escaped his eyes as he collapsed onto his side, crying openly as he was mere ticks away from unconsciousness.

He knew he no longer had a home. But anything was better than this stupid castle, with Bakura and Malik, who could've at least tried to help him. But he was reliving his memories in his mind, when he was little.

And Ryou was crying harder now in memory.

And when it was all ripped away from him, and he had to steal to live, hiding in alleyways for shelter, going for days to weeks without food. No friends, no family… And things merely kept going down after that.

Ryou coughed weakly before it all got to him, and he fell into a faint on the stone floor of the cell, unable to hear or see the world about him any longer.

* * *

Chapter 7: End.


	8. Chapter 8

Malik sighed as he lowered himself down the basement stairs. He felt incredibly guilty. He at least could've tried to stop Marik from doing this, but…he didn't even try. Sighing deeply once more, he walked towards the section he was told Ryou was in.

Ryou sat there in silence, his back to the world. He didn't even look outside the bars as he heard footsteps. Footsteps he knew quite well.

Malik stood silently outside of the cell, watching Ryou. When the boy didn't even look at him, he said quietly, "Ryou…"

"…What do you want?" Ryou whispered, a tinge of hate in his voice. He still didn't look at the other teenager.

"…I…I wanted to say I'm sorry. I…I'm going to try to get you out of here, I promise…" Malik paused, but Ryou never said anything. "…I…I guess I'll see you later?" There was still no response. Malik, sighing, turned away and went back towards the stairs.

Ryou merely sat there on the floor of the cell, in the same spot from which he had fainted yesterday. There was a bitter hate forming in the pit of his stomach, not just for Bakura, but everyone and everything about him, along with a great depression. It was like his worst nightmares come to life. He'd always been afraid of this. Being locked up day and night, like a bird, unable to have the freedom or chances or anything else.

Tears welled in now dull chocolate orbs and fell down Ryou's cheeks. It was over now. He didn't have a purpose anymore. He was a mere prisoner. Someone who was looked down to, someone who had no chances of their own, or a life to live…

And in pure misery Ryou broke into tears, sobbing into his hands.

-

Bakura grunted, weakly pushing himself upright in bed. He had managed to recollect his strength, at least enough to have that mask taken off of his face. But he was still tired, having slept the day away, and it was almost five P.M. Yawning, he rolled over, hearing a knock at the door. "What?"

Malik hesitantly entered. "Master Bakura…I…I need to talk to you."

Bakura sighed quietly, sitting upright. "About what?" The man asked, running a hand through the tangles of his hair.

"…Why…exactly were you so worn out in the first place?"

"…Power…is a wonderful thing, Malik. Let me tell you a little secret, just between us. Marks and magic are closely related. If you want to use magic, you must have a Mark. But how you get it, remains a secret. I won't tell you. But there's another form of magic. A much worse type… This Magic; it's forbidden. But the rest you must figure out on your own. Now, as to why I was out of it… Apparently I've used too much. It makes your Mark go haywire. It sucks out the remaining energy you have to calm your magic sources. Does that answer your question?" Bakura asked, looking at Malik with dark eyes.

Malik nodded slowly, still trying to absorb it all.

"Now. What do you want to ask me? I can tell you have something bugging you."

"It…It's about…about Ryou, Master…"

Bakura stopped, hands curling about the sheets. He looked at Malik, dark eyes glimmering with hidden rage. "What about him?"

"He's…he's not doing so well. He won't speak. I've heard that someone tried to take him food earlier and he wouldn't even eat or drink anything. He just sits there on the floor, staring off into space. And when I started coming back he was crying so hard you could hear him at the top of the stairs…" Malik paused, hesitating for a long while. "M-Master Bakura…I apologize for questioning your reasons, but…would it be possible to get Ryou removed from the basement? You could get him to do something else, like-"

"No." Bakura interrupted. "He stays there. He'll stay there for as long as he has to. I'm sick of the trouble he's been causing me. I'm sick of looking at him and hearing his voice. I don't want to see him ever again, Malik."

"…All right. Sorry for disturbing you, Master." Malik said, lowering his head, and left the room.

* * *

Ryou whimpered, struggling to sit up. He had finally gotten around to getting into the bed that was in his enclosed space, and had slept hard that night. His entire body hurt, especially his shoulder. His chest felt a little better, but it was still sore. 

He reached across and picked up his sketchbook, which had been brought to him. He flipped the book open, to a fresh page. His eyes were filled with tears, and started to work with his own will.

It was the only thing that kept him alive anymore. He found nothing else to do with himself but draw. It had been almost three full days since he was first put in here, and he was on the verge of insanity. But someone had brought him his little book of pictures. And he continued to sketch and draw as if it was the only thing keeping him alive.

Ryou's head snapped up. The normal glimmering chocolate brown eyes were now a dull black, swallowed up in tangled emotions. He could hear footsteps. Footsteps that he knew far too well… He quickly turned his back to the door, and draped the thin sheet over himself.

Bakura growled as he stopped outside of Ryou's cell door. The teenager didn't look at him as he approached. "Ryou."

Ryou squeezed his eyes shut. His backside continued to face the man, and he said nothing. He gritted his teeth together, heart thudding in his chest.

"Answer me!" Bakura screamed, grabbing the key that hung on the wall in anger and rammed it into the lock. He flung the door open and raged into the tiny space.

Ryou's eyes flashed open as Bakura roughly yanked the sheet off of him, and forced him onto his back. Quickly he looked away at the stone wall, not meeting the man's gaze.

"_Ryou!"_ Bakura screamed, rage bubbling in his blood. Even the sight of this boy made him angry right now. He seized Ryou's shirt collar and shook him fiercely. _"Look_ at me!"

"G-Go away." Ryou whispered.

"Open your eyes and _look_ at me!" Bakura screamed, his eyes glimmering red in sheer rage. When Ryou didn't respond, Bakura swore loudly, forcefully slapping Ryou across the face.

"L-Leave me alone!" Ryou screamed, wriggling on the bed. The movement made his book of drawings fall off the bed and onto the floor, opening to his newest sketch. It was the Master himself, eyes glinting red in anger, his every detail just like he was when he was in his fits of rage.

Bakura glared at the drawing on the floor and roughly grabbed Ryou's neck, squeezing harshly. "So, you like to see how far you can push me?!"

Ryou didn't answer, clamping his eyes shut.

"Fine. Apparently not eating for three days isn't enough, and neither is the potion." Bakura snarled, pulling Ryou forcefully from the bed and out of the room, dragging him deeper and deeper down the hallway, where the darkness swarmed and there was dead silence. "I have something _special_ for you, kid."

Ryou's heart was thumping loudly, beating forcefully against his rib cage. There was a lump in his throat that wouldn't go away, and he felt Bakura's grip on his wrist tighten measurably as the man pulled him into a room.

Bakura flicked on the lights, Ryou gasping loudly.

It was just like a torture chamber. Blood stained the stone floor and walls, weapons of all sorts dangling here and there. There was very little light.

Bakura, still holding onto Ryou, pulled him to a certain area before yanking his hands swiftly and forcefully over his head, handcuffing them together, before tying his ankles together with a thick rope that instantly cut into his skin.

Ryou gasped as Bakura grabbed the hem of his shirt, forcefully tearing it over his head, revealing Ryou's thin upper half, the pale skin matching his face, and how sickeningly thin the boy really was.

"You'll be glad I took that off. At least now you'll have something to mop up your blood, and, if you're lucky, you can bandage some wounds." Bakura stated, smirking.

Ryou's blood ran cold as Bakura threw back his head, and laughed. The Master's amusement was frightening, at the very least. Ryou shivered, and before he could do anything else, Bakura was already attacking.

Bakura smirked as Ryou screamed, the man hitting him forcefully, twisting back his already damaged arm. Not hesitating at all, the man extracted a dagger, the handle glimmering white, the blade shimmering, and drove it into Ryou's back.

Ryou screamed loudly, a crimson ribbon flowing from his wound.

Bakura's grin dispersed as he undid his belt, watching Ryou's blood ooze from the stab wound in his back.

Ryou's eyes widened as the belt lashed against his bare back, over his wound. He whimpered loudly, arching his back as the lashes kept going, creating red streaks over his skin, and he noticed a pattern. Every three strikes Bakura rammed the dagger into his back, unmercifully dragging the knife.

And as blood began to pool on the stone, Ryou's face draining of color as the wounds and bruises and cuts added up, something inside of Ryou shattered.

Bakura's eyes widened in shock as Ryou screamed at the top of his lungs, a blinding light forming about his chest. Just like from before…

Unable to take it anymore, Ryou screamed again, louder. The light spread as his screams continued, echoing in the silence. His wants and needs were overloading. He wanted to be free, he wanted to get out, never wanting to see this man ever again. His wishes were building, his emotions clumping into painful tangles. And something inside of him burst into thousands of pieces.

Bakura's eyes narrowed as Ryou tried to rise. "You're not going anywhere!" Bakura screamed, grabbing Ryou's arm.

"You're not in charge of me. You can't control me. I belong only to myself." Ryou said in a dangerous voice, tone dripping with hate and near evil. "And I'm sick of you! I hate you! _I hate you!"_

Bakura's eyes grew wide as the light about Ryou's chest changed to pitch black. And Ryou screamed loudly as a line took shape on the right side of his throat, and as it took complete shape, it lit up. _What…? A Mark?!_

Ryou's eyes rolled backwards, and he collapsed to his knees. The black mark stopped glowing, and it looked similar to Bakura's own, but it was just one slash, not an x, and on the side of his neck instead of on the back.

"…I'll make you regret all of it." Bakura hissed, and towered over Ryou, eyes near red. "You do not disobey me. You do not talk to me in any way other than ordered. And apparently you don't learn."

Ryou's eyes widened as Bakura put a gun against his neck. "…What do I have to do, to get you to understand?"

Ryou growled. He couldn't take this anymore. He didn't want to be pushed around and threatened and talked down to like this. To be punished and beaten and stabbed for little mistakes. No one was going to boss him around anymore. He was going to be free.

Snarling, Ryou kicked upwards with all his might. His foot connected with Bakura's face with harsh force, and Bakura jerked back. Blood gushed from his nose, running down his face and dripping onto his beautiful clothes.

Bakura cursed loudly, and snarled, pulling the trigger of the gun that remained in his hand.

The bullet connected, going into Ryou's already hurt shoulder. The boy screamed loudly, writhing in pure pain. Blood oozed from the wound and others, Ryou's eyes engulfed in pure darkness.

"I've had _enough." _Bakura growled, blood still pouring from his hurt nose. "Trust me. You'll regret it. You'll regret your every choice… The real pain starts tomorrow, Ryou. Just you wait."

Ryou watched as Bakura stood up, and left. Ryou couldn't help but smile from how bad of a nosebleed the Master had gotten, but…he regretted it partially. Bakura was only going to make things worse for him now. And who knew what things he still had left?

Ryou broke into tears. His black, fresh tattoo glowed slightly as the worst wounds sealed up, leaving his bare torso a mess of crimson. The crystal droplets flowed down his face, emotions out of control. Nothing but wants and wishes and regrets were in his mind.

* * *

Chapter 8: End. 


	9. Chapter 9

A few fresh tears trickled down Ryou's dusty cheeks. He was still bound, and locked in the basement. Bakura had left him there, and no one at all had even come to see if he was even alive. He glanced down at himself, his chest a mere mess of drying blood. His shoulder was still throbbing, and he had no way of removing the bullet. Ryou sighed almost soundlessly and closed his dull eyes, no longer having their normal glint or cheer. His mind, the mixture of things, and his near shattered being, was enough to take his focus away from his rapidly growing hunger and pain.

Whimpering, he shifted position, the ropes on his ankles cutting in deeper, the handcuffs about his wrists feeling far too tight, and as if they were rapidly growing tighter. The best he could do was merely shift his legs about so they wouldn't fall asleep.

He rested his head against the stone, bloodstained wall, and kept his eyes closed. He was so tired, but he couldn't sleep. And no matter how much he tried, he never passed into the complete darkness of slumber.

Footsteps sounded into the corridor. Startled, Ryou's darkened eyes snapped open, and he pressed himself deeper against the wall, farther into his corner. And he couldn't be more broken at who stopped in front of the door.

Bakura stood there silently, hands tucked in his trench coat pockets. He stared Ryou down for a long while, and shook his head, strands of silver hair falling into his face. He looked up then, and unlocked the door, stepping inside. His coat swayed as he approached Ryou, his footsteps their normal pace, and his eyes filled with that glimmer of hidden emotions.

"W-What…do you want?" Ryou asked in a dusty whisper. His throat hurt from not having anything to drink in a long time, and he slowly looked up at the Master, tears swelling in his eyes.

Bakura said nothing, and to Ryou's shock, undid the ropes about his ankles, which were now bloody and raw. But Ryou visibly deflated when Bakura instead fastened a pair of chains about his hurt ankles, and did the same with his wrists, undoing the handcuffs and replacing them with chains. It allowed his arms and legs to stretch just enough for Ryou to move about, though barely.

Ryou didn't fight as Bakura roughly grabbed his arm, pulling him out of the room. Anything was better than being locked up… Ryou stumbled along, unused to having his strides being shortened by the chains. He tripped, but managed to recollect himself just in time as Bakura sharply tugged him up the stairs.

Ryou blinked as the light hit his eyes, and he squinted, at least until his eyes adjusted. He looked back at Bakura, who was still silent. He blushed as he noticed tens of hundreds of eyes following him. Now that he though about it, he couldn't blame them. The Master pulling him along like a dog, his upper half completely bare and covered with drying blood, his hair and face dirtied with dust, his eyes orbs of growing darkness and tears, and the chains only added to the unwanted attention.

"…Malik will be following you today, since now you have a schedule, just like everyone else." Bakura muttered emotionlessly, pulling Ryou along.

Soon the two reached the door outside of the Dining Hall, where Malik stood. The blonde didn't look at Ryou, instead focusing on the Master.

"You know what to do." Bakura said quietly, turned on his heel, and left without another word.

Malik looked at Ryou for a long while. The boy was staring at the floor silently, his bare chest coated in dried blood, a small hole in his shoulder. His wrists and ankles were chained together. His normal glimmering chocolate eyes were now a dull black, his white hair matted and dirty, and his normally pale skin had an almost cover of dust from being locked in the basement. "Ryou…"

"What?" Ryou asked, not looking up.

"…What…did he do?" Malik asked, and blinked.

"…Stabbed me, hit me, shot me… Do I need to go on?" Ryou asked, fists forming at his sides. "He's been starving me, locking me up, treating me like dirt… And I'm sick of it. Why doesn't he just let me die already?!" Ryou screamed, glaring up at Malik.

Malik felt his heart twist painfully in pity as a few tears slipped down Ryou's cheeks. The crystal droplets made lines on the dusty skin of the teenager. "I…I don't know." Malik said softly, putting a hand on Ryou's shoulder.

Ryou screamed as Malik touched his bullet wound. The boy twisted backwards, and tripped, falling against the wall, clutching his injured shoulder.

"I-I'm sorry." Malik said quickly. "I-Is that where…where he shot you?" His stomach dropped when Ryou nodded. "O-Okay. W-We need to get the bullet out…"

Ryou whimpered as Malik stood up, and hurried into a room, and returned not too long after. Ryou quickly shut his eyes. He didn't want to watch.

Malik gritted his teeth, silently extending Ryou's wound, red rubies of blood oozing between the cut. Picking up his second material, he ground his teeth together for a second, digging into Ryou's shoulder.

Ryou's eyes flew open as the metal entered his shoulder. He barely kept back a scream, and couldn't be more relieved when Malik extracted a bullet. "There. Done." Malik stated, slipping the bullet into his back pocket. "Now, come on. We have to hurry so Master Bakura won't get mad."

Ryou shakily stood up, and merely followed Malik in silence. To his surprise, Malik led him into the kitchen. It was enormous, thousands of pots and pans, dishes, cabinets, spoons and forks and knives, stoves, and sinks everywhere. "…W…What…do I have to do?"

Malik shrugged. "He didn't say. Cook or clean or something, I guess."

Ryou sighed silently, rubbing his eyes, struggling to hold back tears. He didn't have a choice. He knew he didn't. He either worked or things would only get worse.

Malik bit his bottom lip as Ryou turned his back to him, revealing the healing wounds and cuts, the skin beginning to scar from the wounds, and red streaks decorating Ryou's backside. He also noticed how deathly thin Ryou was, despite his height. "…Ryou."

The boy blinked, and looked at Malik silently. His eyes widened at the apple sitting in Malik's outstretched hand. "Here. I know you're hungry."

Ryou hesitantly obeyed, and looked down at the fruit, then looking at Malik, a frown of uncertainty crossing his features.

"Don't worry about it. I doubt he'll notice, since there's so many apples in here." Malik said, reading the look on Ryou's face. He felt his guilt ease just a little when Ryou began to devour the fruit, apparently starving from what very little food he had gotten since his arrival.

After finishing his little food, Ryou bit his bottom lip. Honestly, he had no clue how to work the high quality stove sitting in front of him. Swallowing, he turned the dial, and jumped back in alarm as a flame came up.

Malik quickly turned it off. "Ryou, please, don't do anything you don't know how to do. I can handle that. And I don't want you to get hurt anymore."

Ryou nodded silently, and looked about for something to do. He did know how to cook, just not with a stove so high-tech as the ones here. Noticing a small bag of unpeeled potatoes and such, Ryou sat down on the countertop, picking up a knife, and started.

Malik watched Ryou out of the corner of his eye. The boy seemed so skilled with a knife, never missing a stroke, not once pricking or cutting himself. And he was so _fast. _Soon the bag was empty, a pot of peeled vegetables sitting to Ryou's left.

Malik blinked as Ryou instead began to cut up the already peeled vegetables, his slim, pale hands working skillfully and diligently, cutting the objects up into small pieces and dumped them into the pot again. But he noticed Ryou wasn't smiling or humming, like most people. He merely watched his work in silence, working at the flick of the knife.

* * *

The rest of the day was exhausting. After the first hour of working in the kitchen, Ryou was directed to the library, having to stack up books and do the paper slips. He normally enjoyed doing this, but with his hurt shoulder, it wasn't fun. Those two hours were painfully long. Another two hours was cleaning, like scrubbing floors and dusting and such, like everyone else had to normally do. Afterwards, he was taken outside to attend to the garden, which was hard, since the season was right, meaning foods had to picked, and the leaves had to be trimmed. Flowers had to be planted where others were dying from not getting enough water. That was another two hours. The remaining three was long as well. Malik left him alone to attend the meal, which Ryou was forced to skip. He was already tired, his energy dispersed from the lack of food and strength, but he kept on. He cleaned the third floor during that time, wiping the windows until they shimmered and dusted the plates, watering the potted plants and scrubbed the floor until his hands were stiff and trembling. And finally dusk came, Ryou more relieved than he had ever been.

Ryou yawned quietly, staring out of the third floor window. He was so tired, horribly, terribly tired. Every muscle and bone in his body ached like never before, his hands and fingers stiff, his shoulder throbbing, and his stomach was empty.

He was sitting in the windowsill now, staring out into the darkness. He wanted to be free again, to be able to fly and stretch his wings, and soar high above everything else. To be able to live again…

"Ryou?" Malik asked, standing behind the teenager. "Hey, come on. The day is pretty much over."

Ryou got down from the sill silently, and tried to walk. But his strength was completely used up, and he collapsed.

Malik caught Ryou, who was slumped in his arms as if he was almost unconscious. "Are…you okay?"

"…Tired." Ryou whispered. "…So…tired…"

"…Come on. You can have a bath and then we'll get you to bed. And I'll bring you some food, too, okay?" Malik whispered, hoisting Ryou onto his back.

Ryou almost instantly fell asleep, completely exhausted. He slept soundlessly, head resting against Malik's shoulder.

Malik quietly entered the third floor bathroom, and set Ryou down on the mat beside the bathtub. "Ryou. Ryou, come on." He whispered, gently shaking Ryou's undamaged shoulder.

"Hn…?" Ryou asked, drowsily opening his eyes, blinking heavily.

"Come on. I said you could have a bath." Malik said, an frowned at the chains still shackled about the albino's body. "…We have to take those off…"

Ryou blinked heavily, and frowned a little when Malik got a pin, shoving it into the lock and fumbled about for a while, until the chains unlocked and fell to the floor.

Ryou let out a small noise of relief, rubbing at his sore wrists and ankles, noting that Malik was already starting up the water for the albino, and turned his back away from Ryou so he could undress in privacy.

Blushing a little, Ryou unbuttoned his jeans, unzipped them, and took them off quietly, discarding them on the floor, and pulled off his underwear afterwards. Silently he got into the tub, stifling a groan of relaxation.

"Towels are in the cabinet beside you." Malik said, heading for the door, making sure not to look. "I'll be outside, okay?" He said before leaving.

Ryou groaned loudly, relaxing in the hot water. The humidity about him made the ends of his hair curl up a little, and idly, he fiddled with a strand of his hair. When the water got high enough, he turned it off, and sank deep into the water, and closed his eyes.

Oh, how good it felt. He hadn't had a bath in a long while, and he missed it. When he was on the streets, he didn't have hot water like this, a kind that felt so good you could fall asleep. Ryou sat up slightly, and looked about, picking up a shampoo bottle, and started to wash his white, fluffy hair. It made him feel so good…

After that, he merely dunked himself under, and closed him eyes, holding his breath. He let the water about him clean the shampoo from his hair, and let the water relax him. Soon he couldn't hold his breath any longer, and broke the surface. He brushed his bangs out of his face, which were slicked down, lengthened, due to the water.

He finished his bath not too long after, and drained the water, climbing out quietly. He got himself a towel, drying off his hair, before wrapping the towel about his skinny body. Still holding up the towel, he found a brush, still in it's wrapper, and pulled it out, brushing through his still moist locks, getting rid of the tangles and such. He flinched as he heard a knock at the door. "Ryou, you done?"

"Y-Yes." Ryou stammered, hugging the towel closer.

"I brought you some clothes." Malik said, and opened the door with his head turned, setting them down on the counter before retreating, a crimson streak across his face.

Ryou couldn't help but smile. He smiled at his clean chest, removed of the dried blood, as he pulled on the t-shirt, and changed into the rest of the clothes. He hung up the towel before quietly coming out of the room.

Malik smiled. The teenager looked better already, even though his eyes were still that dull color, no longer glinting, but his appearance was a lot better. "Come on."

Malik led Ryou down the stairs. "You work hard, Ryou. I don't really see why Master Bakura is so harsh towards you." He whispered, leading Ryou towards his bedroom.

Malik quietly entered the room, forcing Ryou to lie down. The boy snuggled deep under the blankets, too exhausted to bother changing out of his clothes. He closed his eyes. "I'll bring you something later. I can't right now. Master Bakura's out and about right now, and I really don't want to get you into trouble."

Ryou merely nodded. He was already drifting into the darkness, the shadows welcoming him. His exhaustion made him instantly fall into that abyss, the boy in a deep sleep in silence.

Malik watched Ryou for a few minutes, and sighed, turning away and left.

The room was quiet, at least until footsteps sounded.

Bakura frowned as he passed the room, and paused at the figure curled up in bed. The Master walked into the room with his long strides, and frowned at Ryou, who was sleeping peacefully. _I never said you could sleep._

Taking the covers in one pale, slender hand, Bakura yanked them towards himself, the movement not even stirring the sleeping Ryou. But Bakura frowned.

The chains were gone. Ryou had obviously taken a bath, his skin and hair a more sparkling color. His shirt- that Bakura noticed was new- had ridden up slightly, revealing Ryou's lower torso, which was deathly thin, Ryou's waist slimmer than Bakura had ever seen. _I'll have to get Malik for that later…_

Bakura stood there for a few minutes, watching Ryou sleep in silence. He noticed how stiff the boy's hand were, and had noticed how clean the place looked before he came here. _So. You can actually get something done when you're not slacking off like you usually do._

Bakura silently left, hands in his pockets, his rage strangely not present.

* * *

Chapter 9: End.


	10. Chapter 10

So, I've been thinking about some new fic plotlines. And I have some ideas I really want to work on. But, the bad thing is, I want to finish what I've started right now. It's hard enough working on five or six fics at once, and in not even two weeks I'll be starting two more fics... Argh. So I'm trying to finish Demons & Angels first, and get that out of the way before anything else, since I have such a long way to go...

* * *

Ryou's eyes flew open. He shakily sat up, hearing screaming from down the hall, his room on the ground floor. And suddenly his door burst open, and Ryou nearly screamed. 

"Ryou…come on, we have to get upstairs. _Now." _Malik said, panting. A cut was running down his arm, and a slash on his cheek. He quickly went over to the bed and helped Ryou to his feet.

"But why? What's…going on?" Ryou asked with a trembling voice. The screaming continued outside, followed by a vicious pounding.

"I'll explain later. We have to go."

Ryou blinked as Malik grabbed his wrist, and pulled him out of the room, headed for the second floor stairs, running at an incredibly fast pace.

"Malik, please, tell me what's happening!" Ryou shouted over the yelling voices and growing noise. "I want to know!"

"…There was a war going on in the West. Apparently the tensions grew too high. And it spread like wildfire… Now, we are also victims, and it turns out that soon, not only us, but also every key directional land will join in…so far, the only one missing in the North… But they're coming. And once they do, things are only going to get worse."

Ryou's eyes widened. "But why are we going upstairs?"

"They're trying to barricade the door. We're under attack as we speak. And if they get in…well…things won't be pretty." Malik said as he kept dragging Ryou up the stairs.

"But why are we running away? Aren't we supposed to fight?" Ryou asked, his brow furrowing.

"…Ryou…I hate to break it to you…but…Master Bakura told me when you first arrived, if anything happened, he wanted you to stay out of battle. The same goes for me and a few others."

"But that's…that's…" Ryou frowned deeply, unable to put his finger on it. But he didn't like it.

Malik pulled him to the third floor, and went into a spare room, and pushed Ryou inside. "Stay here until I get back. Don't leave this room."

And with that he left.

Ryou huffed, and stamped his foot. _This so isn't fair! Why do I have to sit here while everyone else fights? I'm just being a coward…_

_Forget him. I'm sick of being treated so different. I can fight too._

Meanwhile, downstairs on the main floor, Bakura was giving orders, with Marik at his side. The door, which was struggling to be blocked, was almost groaning from the force pressing from the outside.

Bakura swore quietly, looking at Marik, eyes narrowing. "You'd better be ready. We're not going to be able to hold them back much longer."

Marik merely grunted as a response, focused intently on the door.

All eyes flew to the window as it shattered, followed by a gunshot.

"Get down!" Bakura bellowed at the top of his lungs, him and Marik ducking behind the stairs. Everyone else followed orders, hiding behind furniture and such.

And Bakura was sure he felt his heart skip a beat or two when the door broke down.

"Go!" Marik yelled, straightening, pulling out the handgun that had been slid into his back pocket.

And then the fighting broke out.

Upstairs, Malik was panting, running as fast as he could down the hall. He could hear animalistic fighting going on beneath him, and he knew that soon the opponents would completely search the castle.

The blonde slid towards the room, and his mouth fell open a little. Ryou was gone. _Oh no._

Ryou ran down the corridor, collecting knives and whatever weapons he could find on his way. He was running down the stairs now, which connected the first and second floors. He gasped as he reached the bottom of the stairs.

Everyone was fighting. Guns were constantly going off, knives being sliced across skin, screams of threats and pain mingling together. Ryou's eyes searched the growing crowd, and instantly spotted Bakura's mess of white hair. His eyes widened.

Bakura seemed to be the most common target. His hair was dotted with blood, the crimson flowing over his hands. The Master's back was pressed against Marik's own, both being some of the best fighters.

"There's too many." Bakura said, blowing a stray strand of silver hair out of his narrowed eyes. He drove his cutlass into someone's side, while Marik pulled the trigger again.

"I know there is. But there's nothing else we can do." Marik said between clenched teeth.

"We need to get out of here and plan." Bakura said through gritted teeth, and the two began to retreat, Bakura led the way up the stairs, Marik glancing over his shoulder at the growing, vicious war.

Bakura froze as he reached the top of the stairs, where Ryou stood. "What are you doing-" He stopped a loud gunshot went off. "No time." He whispered, and grabbed Ryou's wrist, dragging the boy up the staircase with Marik bringing up the rear.

Bakura rushed into a spare bedroom, and shut the door as Marik came inside. "One. I don't know why _you're_ here," he said, looking at Ryou, "but that doesn't matter now. Does anyone have a plan?"

There was silence.

Bakura sighed and dropped his bloodied cutlass, wiping his sweaty forehead with his sleeve. His lace cuffs were slit apart, blood staining his shirt. He tied his hair back to keep it out of his vision, needing to see every square inch while fighting.

"They're going to come after us as soon as they get the chance, and search every part of this castle." Marik said, lavender eyes narrowing. "So we have to ward them off _somehow_…"

Bakura glared at Ryou. "You disobeyed me, so what's going on in _your_ head?" He snarled angrily.

"…Because hiding in a room from the battle is something only a coward does." Ryou answered coldly, giving the two males a deep, empty stare.

"Why I ought to-" Bakura threatened, pulling back a fist, but Marik held him back.

"Calm down. You can always take care of him later." Marik said, and released his grip. "Now, I think I may have an idea."

"Which is…?" Bakura asked, and glanced at the blonde with anger burning in his eyes.

"We can always use magic…and if that doesn't work, we can use the other types."

Bakura growled deep within his throat, clenching and unclenching his fists. He didn't want to use his magic; it would only exhaust his sources and cause problems. But what other choice did he have…?

The three males looked at the door when an axe suddenly sliced through the wood. "Found 'em." A voice said, followed by a cold snicker.

Marik and Bakura stared at Ryou as the boy stood up, standing only about a foot from the door. "Are you crazy?!"

"No." Ryou said simply. His eyes were narrowed. He hated this. He didn't like things like this, and he didn't want it anymore. He waited silently until the door collapsed, and screamed, throwing apart his arms.

Bakura's eyes widened. A blinding light spread from Ryou's skinny body and flooded outside, sending the third through first floor into a waterfall of light. And as the light stopped, Ryou toppled backwards.

Bakura rushed, and caught the teenager in his arms. Ryou looked up at him, panting, his tattooed neck glowing for a minute before it stopped. "…I…I think…it'll…hold them off…" Ryou choked out, chest heaving, before he fainted in the man's arms.

Bakura growled deeply. Now, what?

"Bakura, they're not moving. It's…like they're frozen." Marik said, waving a hand in front of the man with the axe's face.

Bakura blinked, and looked down at Ryou. He frowned deeply. _Exactly how much power does this kid _have?

"…We have to act fast." Bakura said, before Malik came rushing into the room.

"M-Master…" Malik panted, unable to speak because he was so winded, from running all around the castle.

"Deep breaths, Malik." Marik said with a low chuckle.

Malik merely stared at him for a second before looking at Bakura, and started again. "M-Master Bakura, the enemies are frozen downstairs… And have you seen-" Malik froze.

Ryou was limp in Bakura's long-sleeved arms, hand hanging backwards, and his hair dangling. His chest was heaving, struggling to regain deep breaths of air. He noticed that his Mark was still a bit alight, apparently from magic still in effect. "Oh…"

"Why didn't you lock him up like I ordered?" Bakura growled.

"I-I did b-but…he apparently ran out when I left. M-My apologies…" Malik stuttered, not meeting the man's gaze.

"You do not disobey me, Malik. You of all people should know that."

"Let it go, Bakura." Marik answered dryly. "Sheesh, one little thing goes wrong and you flip out." He muttered, and flashed Malik a wink.

Malik's face reddened slightly and nodded gratefully.

"Whatever." Bakura muttered coldly. "And can _someone_ get this kid off me?!" He suddenly yelled, referring to the unconscious Ryou. But as Malik moved to take him away, Ryou whimpered loudly, and his tattoo lit up brighter.

"M…Master…I don't think we should move him right now. I think it's affecting his magic sources."

Suddenly running footsteps were heard, and Marik scowled at the doorway as Rain appeared. "What do you want?"

"Master Seto wanted me to get you guys out of here. And I mean now."

Marik arched an eyebrow, and looked at the other Master and Malik, the unconscious Ryou still in Bakura's arms, much to the man's annoyance.

"…Humph, fine. We need to regroup anyway. Our forces won't overpower them by much."

Bakura, hoisting Ryou in his arms, growled low in his throat as he followed the others into the main corridor. The walls had an almost dust upon them, and as Bakura touched it, it left a blue streak where his hands met. _So his magic is doing this… _Bakura thought, looking down at the paling Ryou.

Rain opened the window abruptly. "You guys will have to leave this way. There's too much going on downstairs right now."

"Come on, kid." Marik said with a grunt.

Malik squeaked and turned a deep crimson as Marik grabbed him, and slung him roughly over his shoulder, before clambering into the windowsill. He paused for a second to look at the girl. "So you're going to fight, I suppose?"

She nodded. "I've been taught enough, Master."

"Very well." He said, and jumped from the window.

Malik yelped, and grabbed Marik's sleeve fearfully. His eyes widened, however, as the black mark on Marik's arm light up, and they stopped falling.

Bakura followed suit, getting into the window and leapt. He looked down at Ryou as he fell, noticing how pale the boy was, near the color of a sheet of paper now.

Rain swallowed as the glow stopped suddenly, and the roar of battle commenced again.

Bakura grimaced as Ryou paled a little further as his Mark stopped glowing. There was a loud crash and shattering sound, followed by roars of war, coming from inside. Bakura's tattoo, revealed by his hair being blown around, lit up brightly, and he too stopped falling.

The two Masters lowered themselves to the now bloodied grass, and paused only for seconds to peer through the windows at the animalistic war, before running off, the two servants slung across their bodies.

* * *

Chapter 10: End. 


	11. Chapter 11

Bakura sank to the grass, panting with his face near dripping sweat. It was uneasily hot out that day, and he was getting tired from running so much. Ryou, who was still unconscious, merely weighed him down a little more, but not by much. Ryou was really light for his height, from not always having access to food over his lifetime.

Marik sat down beside him, and dropped Malik from his shoulder. Malik squeaked as he fell to the grass, and sat up slowly.

"…So now what?" Bakura asked, and put Ryou down beside him.

"It wouldn't be a good idea for us to go back so quickly. We should wait for them to kill each other off first before we head back. Then if there's damages, we can just bring in some newer people without the danger of injury."

Bakura bit his lip in thought, and heaved a sigh. "Whatever." He muttered, and flopped down in the grass upon his back, and groaned. He was now feeling the exhaustion from fighting so hard.

The three boys looked at Ryou when he whimpered, curling up a bit, and began to tremble.

Pain. It was the only thing he could feel as his senses came back. He felt weak and horribly tired… Ryou forced himself to open his eyes, but strained to do so. A flame of pain spread all over his body instantly, earning a small cry coming from him.

Malik was the first to approach him. He hovered over Ryou for a few seconds while the boy came around, groaning in deep, raging pain, his shadowed eyes clearing up slowly. "Ryou? Hey, can you hear me?"

He could hear a voice, although he couldn't see. The area above him was a huge smear, and he couldn't tell who, or what, was there.

"Ryou. Hey, it's me. It's Malik."

Ryou gave a low noise, struggling to focus on the figure above him. _Malik…? _Deep down he was really relieved to see the fellow servant firsthand, instead of Bakura, who would probably be fuming angrily and instantly scream at him. Slowly his vision cleared up enough to see Malik's lavender eyes, soft in concern. "…Malik…?" Ryou asked in a raspy whisper.

Malik helped Ryou sit up. Ryou was weakly looking around, looking like he was getting ready to fall over and faint at any second. He was already sweating from the heat, apparently not accustomed to it. "W…Where…am I…?"

"We've been going further east for about an hour so far." Marik said, on his feet. He spoke to Bakura next, "I'm going to look for water. Be back in ten."

Bakura didn't answer him, but merely nodded, a sleeved arm over his eyes.

Marik grinned, and grabbed Malik's shirt. "Come on." He said, dragging Malik off and into the trees.

The Master sat up then, and looked at Ryou. "How did you do that?"

"Do what?" Ryou asked innocently.

"Earlier. When we were in the castle… You made this light go everywhere. How did you learn to do that? And where did you manage to get all the strength from?"

Ryou blinked, and shook his head. "…I…I don't really know _how _I did it. I just did. I just wanted everyone to stop fighting for a while and it just kind of happened I guess. And it took a lot of strength to do it, so I think that's why I passed out."

Bakura blinked, seeming thoughtful for a minute. _He just got his Mark…and he can already do acts like that. Apparently…his magic sources have been building up for a long time, and they just haven't had a way to get out._

Meanwhile, Marik was still dragging Malik along by the back of his shirt. He finally released him, and stopped momentarily. "…Does Bakura ever get on your nerves?"

Malik blinked, a little taken aback by the question. "W-What do you mean?"

"You know. Like how you always have to call him 'Master' and obey his every whim or get struck, and listen to him scream and go through his little fits of rage around that other boy…"

"N-Not really, no. I…I guess I've grown used to it. I've been here with Master Bakura since I was about…five or six, I think. Back then; Master Bakura just became the leader. He was going around town collecting people as servants. The place I lived at- since I had no family- they always told me whenever something like that came around, I needed to take it. So I did. Sure, it was hard at first. But the worst he ever did was make you skip meals or lock you in a closet for the night. He didn't beat servants when they were that small…"

"Apparently you grew on him."

Malik nodded. "I think so. I guess I never came him much difficulty. He told me I learned fast. So as the years went by I never had to deal with the other punishments. Well, I did once, when something happened. But I learned quick from that…"

Marik was walking forward now, Malik behind him. "…What do you think about the whole situation between Bakura and that other kid? What's his name again?"

"Ryou?"

"Yeah, him." Marik said, weaving through trees and looking about.

"Well…at first I thought Master Bakura really didn't like him. I don't know why. Ryou never caused much trouble. The only reason he was late on the first roam was because he was working hard with me in the library. Master Bakura has gone rather out of control with the punishment on him, I think. Beating him and locking him up and starving him… But deep down I think Master Bakura has a soft spot. He went after Ryou when he fell out of the window. He just could've let him fall to his death. And he's dragging Ryou along now…"

"…He needs to lighten up. The kid works for him. He's lucky he didn't already try to run away or jump out of another window when he had his back turned. Besides, he needs to learn to appreciate what he has before it's gone. And honestly, I think he has some anger issues when it comes to Ryou."

Malik couldn't help but chuckle.

-

Bakura watched Ryou silently, his eyes following his every move. Ryou was sitting only about two feet away, moving his hands in certain directions, and his eyes focused in concentration. Ryou's tattoo glowed for a second, and a huge grin spread across his lips as a small ball of light took form in his slender hands. He moved it in circles and idly tried to do other things with it.

Bakura looked up as he heard footsteps. Malik and Marik were back, Marik in the lead. "So?"

"Yeah, there's a stream not too far from here. We need to go now. It's going to get dark pretty soon."

Bakura stood up, dusting off his beautiful clothes. He started to walk off, beside Marik. Malik waited for Ryou, who was going slower than the others. Malik didn't say anything to the two Masters, and merely let them head off at their own pace. He already knew the way, anyway.

Ryou gasped as pain shot through his neck, and burned in around his tattoo. He whimpered quietly in pain and slapped a hand over it.

"You okay?" Malik asked.

"Y-Yeah. It…just hurts a little. But don't worry about it. Come on, they're going to leave us behind." Ryou said and took off in a run.

Malik raised an eyebrow and followed.

* * *

Bakura and Marik sat by their small campfire. The sun was starting to set, sending the sky into a rainbow of gray and pink. There was still some light to see by, but they went ahead and lit the fire, so they wouldn't have to worry about it once it did get dark. Malik was getting water.

Ryou stood at the base of a tree. He leapt from the ground, and grabbed hold of a branch. With a small grunt he pulled himself up, and sat down on the branch. The tree overlooked the water's edge, but Ryou was on the branch opposite of the water.

"Ryou, be careful. I don't want you to fall." Malik said, looking up at the teenager.

"You worry too much." Ryou said, and looked out to the horizon. The sun was a mere ball of light, like the one he had forced to take shape in his hands earlier. Soon it would slip behind the mountains that were piled up in the distance…

Ryou tucked his knees over the branch, and let his body fall, so that he hung like a bat from the tree. He laughed, his hair dangling, and his fingers wrapped about the tree branch. Oh, how much better it felt to be out in the open again… It made him feel free.

Bakura and Marik were watching the two boys now. Bakura raised a snowy eyebrow at Ryou, who was swaying upside-down and laughing. "What is he _doing?"_

"Enjoying himself." Marik answered simply. "The older you get, your chances of those activities only lessen."

Ryou let go with his hands, and did a small flip, landing lightly on the grass. He scampered over to Malik, and laid down on his stomach at the water's edge. "…So, how long do you think it'll be before we head back?"

Malik shrugged. "We'll have to go back sooner of later. Master Bakura rules the whole Eastern section, so he has to get back to his place of control before something else happens. Master Marik is the exact same way…"

"Wait. So Bakura controls everything from his castle area over eastward?"

"Pretty much. That's one reason this whole war is going on: for the land and control."

Ryou seemed thoughtful for a minute, and dipped his fingertips into the water. "So…he can do whatever he wants, as long as the land belongs to him?"

Malik nodded. "Just about, yes. The good thing is that Master Bakura and Master Marik get along pretty well, so they easily compromise and go against the others before they fight."

Ryou dragged his fingers through the water before he spoke. "…Malik…what other magic is there here? I mean, there's Marks and such, which apparently is magic in itself…but…"

Malik bit his lip in thought. "…Well…you can't tell Master Bakura I told you. He wanted this to be a secret. In terms with regular magic…there are lots of abilities. Stopping great falls, creating injuries to enemies and so on…

"But…there's forbidden Magic. I think…it deals with doing illegal biddings and doing much more powerful things. There are rumors about this type…"

"Like what?" Ryou asked, his curiosity spiking.

"Like when that Magic is in use it creates a near rainbow in the sky, only it has a different appearance. That Magic can be used to rule countries at a time, and if the power is great enough, you can wipe out anyone in your way… But no one knows exactly, except for the people that use it. That's why Master Marik and Master Bakura are always meeting together; to discuss politics and Magic sources…"

Ryou glanced over his shoulder at the two Masters. Something was nibbling at him. He couldn't help but be curious of what Bakura was hiding, and how he used to be. "Malik…do you know anything about Bakura's childhood?"

"Not much. No one knows much about what Master Bakura holds inside of him." Malik sighed. "When he became Master, he came into town. He collected a hundred of us and took us to his castle. Back then we were beyond excited. Most of us didn't have any experiences near great enough as that.

"Anyway, most of the other servants that were there were a lot older. Master Bakura took us to dinner in the Dining Hall. And in the middle of the meal he got our attention and stood up, and told us a little about himself. But it wasn't much.

"He told us what his name was, and how he was to be addressed. He told us the standards and rules, and that we'd soon be placed on a schedule. Most of us were too small- between six and eight in age- to fully understand.

"He said that he grew up poor, and was taken in as a servant for the previous Master when he was about our age. And he got older as the years went past. And when the Master was growing older, Master Bakura had gotten the most out of his time there. And when the time came, the Ceremony took place, and Master Bakura took over… And at first, no one listened to him. He proved his point, though, by beating some and starving others…

"And that got us moving. The worst he did to us when we were young was making us skip meals or lock us in a really dark room for a full day or something like that. But as we got older, the punishments got worse…

"But what scared most of us was how cold and emotionless Master Bakura would act. He never smiled, and never, ever laughed. The only time he grinned or chuckled was- what some of the others said- was when he was beating you."

Ryou looked back at the albino again. This time, their gazes locked. They both sat there silently, not speaking, before Ryou had to look away. He couldn't keep staring into his eyes like that. For some reason, it just hurt him.

But deep down, Ryou wondered how it felt to be the Master: the ruler of everything. Sure, the power must've been horribly intoxicating. But what about everything else? Not showing emotion, and apparently, at the same time, not having the chances. Like having fun in your life, or having a memorable childhood…

* * *

Chapter 11: End.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: ...Hey guys. It's been a while; like, what? Two months, since my last update? I'm really sorry. Thankfully I have everything sorted out now, so I should be updating faster from now on...

Anyways, some people had questions:

**Kurama-ness: **Pairings? Hmm... Well, I guess just the type I typically write. That's probably what's going to be in this fic. (Since you've read some of my other fics you probably know what I mean. XD )

**the brown wolf named Rain:** (As for your messages) There. It's in this chapter. XD I hope you're happy, now get off my lawn. Kidding. XD

**Nijiyume:** Ryou? Well... Ryou's not much of a fighter in this fic (so he wouldn't hurt Bakura), and he's just got a bit of nartual curiosity in him, I guess you could say. XD There's a reason behind it all, but it comes a little later in the fanfic.

Hope you guys enjoy! (You may have noticed the story summary has been changed a little)

* * *

"Master Bakura…?" Ryou asked softly. The pair was seated next to a small campfire, waiting for the sun to rise. 

"What do you want?" Bakura snarled, still agitated with the attack.

Ryou flinched. "I think…maybe we should head back to the castle… Maybe we shouldn't even have to regroup yet… Master Marik says the next town is twenty miles… We could never make forty miles in a low time period… Besides, maybe they killed each other off…?"

"I never asked for your opinion," Bakura growled, brown, crimson tinted eyes narrowing. "Besides, why should I listen to you, _thief?"_

Ryou looked at the ground, hurt.

"You annoy me so much…" Bakura muttered, lying down on his back to look at the sky. "So weak…"

Ryou was about to argue, but bit his tongue, knowing it would only make matters worse. He was relieved when Malik and Marik showed up, having gone searching for a new stream.

"Well?" Bakura asked, sitting up.

"We didn't find a stream or anything, but Master Marik thinks there's a hot spring nearby due to the formations." Malik said, smiling a little.

"Hn…" Bakura murmured to himself, pondering. "Sounds fine, I guess. But we have to find it first." He said, getting to his feet, and dusting himself off. Ryou got up too, making sure to keep his distance in case Bakura got even angrier.

The four started off, the two Masters in the lead, with the servants behind.

* * *

"Hmm. Seems fine to me." Bakura said, lowering himself down the rocks, which had been formed into near stairs from the hot water. 

Bakura was the first to get to the bottom. He glanced around the underground room. The spring consisted of one large circle, and two smaller ones a little ways from the middle. "It's hot…"

Ryou blushed as Bakura took off his shirt, and spoke up hesitantly. "Um… I-I have an idea…"

"Let me hear it." Marik muttered, beginning to strip off his shirt as well.

Bakura glared in Ryou's direction, as if a signal for him to shut up. Ryou swallowed, and looked away. "…M-Maybe…you guys could use one of the smaller pools and wash your clothes… T-Then if you guys don't want me or Malik around…we can go to the other pool that's empty…"

The Master's were quiet for a minute, before Marik shrugged. "Fine, whatever." Bakura, on the other hand, said nothing.

The two servants turned crimson, their Master's beginning to undo their belts, stripping themselves down to their boxers. Marik glanced at Bakura, "Might as well leave them on, since our clothes are going to get wet anyway."

Bakura shrugged.

The two servants watched the Masters wade into the hot water. Ryou glanced at Malik, who shrugged, the two beginning to head to the separate pool of water.

"Hey!" Marik sat up, his hair flattened slightly from the water, Bakura currently underwater. "Where're you going?"

"…I thought…Master Bakura didn't want us…you know…in the same pool…" Ryou murmured softly, rubbing at his arm.

Marik growled, crossing his arms. "This one is _huge_. It doesn't matter. Get in."

The two servants looked at each other, and Malik sighed. "O-Okay…"

Ryou glanced at Malik, who was turning bright red as he began to take off his clothes, also getting himself down to his boxers, looking slightly uneasy.

"U-Uh…" Ryou said, feeling himself bright red, "I-I can go ahead and take everyone's clothes to the other pool to get cleaned…"

"All right." Marik said, leaning against the rocks. "You know, I don't see why Bakura is so hateful with you. I mean, you're a pretty nice kid…helpful too…"

Ryou turned another shade of red, and hurriedly collected everyone's clothes into his arms, leaving the Masters' belts behind, along with everyone's shoes and socks. He hurried off to see Malik getting in the water.

Bakura finally broke the surface. "Where'd the wimp go?"

"He went to clean the clothes." Marik glanced at the fellow Master. "Why do you hate him? He hasn't done anything wrong…"

Bakura noticed Malik, who sat across from them, his face flushed red. He pushed the matter aside, not really caring, since Malik was so loyal. He turned back to Marik. "Look, I just do. Keep your nose out my business."

Meanwhile, Ryou was walking hurriedly towards the separate pool. He arrived quickly. The other pool of hot water was about the size of a large bathtub. He had noticed the main pool was enormous. He gingerly lowered the clothes into the water, watching a few droplets of blood from Bakura's white shirt come out. Ryou felt himself blush harder. He didn't really feel up to getting into the spring with the others…

With a light sigh, he pulled off his shirt, and tossed it into the water with the other clothes, before taking off his pants, putting those in two, feeling himself blushing.

He reluctantly made his way back towards the main pool.

-

Malik sighed with relief when Marik didn't argue back. He knew it wasn't a pretty sight when two Masters fought… He blinked with surprise when the blonde Master looked at him. "Hey…Malik, right? Can I talk to you?"

"Uh… Uh, sure…?" Malik stumbled over his words, a little surprised. He noticed Bakura moodily moving away from them, his arms folded across his bare chest, going towards the other side of the pool. He also noticed Marik getting a little closer.

"…After things calm down around here, and along with the situation between Bakura and…Ryou…I'm heading back to my grounds. However, I want to ask you if you'd like to come along."

Malik's heart stilled for a moment. "W…What…? I…I mean… Bakura is my Master… I can't just abandon him…"

"No, not like that. Things will get sorted out before that. I know it's a little sudden, but I need someone like you on my grounds. I'm not in possession of many servants like you."

Malik looked down at the water, blushing. "…W…Well…l-like you said…it's sudden… I-I'll have to think about it…"

"That's fine." Marik said, settling into the rocks beside Malik, putting his arms behind his head and closed his eyes.

Malik glanced around to see Ryou coming up, his pale face tainted with a heavy blush. Ryou came up beside Malik and lowered himself into the water in a hurry. Marik, without opening his eyes, spoke up. "Nice of you to join us."

Ryou stared into the water, unsure of what to say. He blinked, hearing his name, and looked up. He could see Bakura on the other side of the pool, gesturing him with his hand to come closer. "…I-I'll be back soon." Ryou said, and starting making his way towards Bakura.

Bakura watched him come, leaning into the rocks behind him. "Took you long enough."

"S-Sorry." Ryou said softly. "…W…Why did you call me, Master?"

Bakura was scowling, glaring at the water. "…I talked with Marik. He thinks we need to head back too… So I guess tomorrow morning we're heading back." Bakura gritted his teeth together, hating to admit he was proved wrong.

"…O…Okay…" Ryou said softly, unsure of how he should respond, aware of the Master's aggravation.

The silence that followed was uncomfortable. Bakura glared at Ryou, his arms folded across his pale, muscled chest. "Why are you still standing here?"

Ryou flinched. "…I…I thought you wanted me over here…"

"Humph." Bakura growled and looked away.

Ryou decided to go into deep water. "…M…Master… C…Can you tell me anything about your childhood?" Ryou asked, but froze as Bakura gave him a look that resembled near murder. In mere seconds Bakura grabbed him by the throat, squeezing dangerously. "…Don't you _ever_ ask me that again."

Bakura pushed Ryou away, who inched away, afraid of the Master's sudden outburst.

* * *

They had two miles left. The four walked in a square formation, the Master's in the lead, the servants behind. After they left the spring, their clothes were warm. Even though they had been put out to dry, the affects of the spring remained intact. 

Marik suddenly dropped behind to talk to Malik, and Ryou hesitantly walked to stand by Bakura. However, the two albinos didn't talk about anything.

The next period of time was spent that way, the two albinos listening to the blondes hold their own conversations. Ryou noticed the castle looming up ahead. "We're close…" He whispered, slightly afraid, and yet a little curious, of what awaited them.

Bakura just snorted as a response.

Finally they were on the royal grounds. The four of them walked closer to the castle, Ryou freezing in his tracks to cover his mouth with his hand, involuntarily.

The windows of the castle were shattered, the walls smeared with blood, occasionally burned from flaming arrows. Bodies were strewn everywhere, and the once green grass had turned crimson from the river of blood.

Bakura's face remained expressionless. He led the group closer, and up to the castle. Malik and Ryou seemed more startled by the slaughter, staying away from the dead bodies and weapons that decorated the ground. Bakura led them right inside, not even looking afraid.

Inside was even worse.

The main lobby was covered with bodies and blood. Marik wrinkled his nose at the scent, Ryou letting a small noise, his hand still over his mouth. Bakura stopped, a hand on his bony hip, studying the place, examining the bodies. Without saying anything he walked down the hall, leading the others to the stairs, which was also decorated with crimson liquid and corpses. "They couldn't have destroyed each other completely…" Bakura said quietly. He turned to the others. "Malik, Marik. You two finish searching the ground floor." He looked at Ryou with narrowed eyes. "And _you_ come with me." He said, grabbing Ryou by the arm, nearly dragging him up the stairs.

The two albinos made it to the second floor, finding the bodies beginning to thin out, along with the rivers of blood. He looked around, the Master blinking. He noticed about five of his servants on the ground, desperately trying to bandage each other's wounds. "…Are you all that's left?"

"Just about." One of them whispered weakly, bandaging his arm. "If there's anyone left, they'd probably be on higher ground. The opponents tore through the first floor…"

Bakura just nodded and kept pulling Ryou up the stairs. After they had finished searching the other floors, Bakura was beyond agitated. They were currently on the sixth floor. Bakura snarled, punching the wall with his fist. "They took out nearly our whole force! And that's not even _half _of the army of the other regions!" Bakura screamed, angrily driving his fist back into the wall.

Ryou was struggling to hold back his tears from seeing the violent, bloody remains. He walked across the hallway to look out of the cracked windows.

Bakura turned to see Ryou at the window, his shoulders shaking as he cried, gently tracing his fingertips down the glass. He said nothing.

-

"I wonder how many people actually lived… It seemed that this floor is completely killed over…" Marik said, more to himself than Malik, who was walking right behind him.

"…M…Master?"

"What was that?" Malik asked, his brow furrowing. The pair turned to the doorway they had stopped in front of.

"Here, let me go first." The Master said, leading the way inside.

The room was full of bodies across the ground, some still bleeding.

"Hello?" Marik asked, Malik staying close.

"M…M…Master…"

"Wait. Rain?" Marik glanced about, before seeing the girl in a corner, sitting upon the floor. He walked over. "What're you doing in here?" He asked, before he saw blood. "Are you hurt?"

"…Y…Yeah. Idiots…followed me…"

"You killed them, it seems like. So what happened?"

"…Poison arrow… Apparently…before you guys showed up…"

Malik bit his lip, looking at the silent Master. "…Master Marik…does that mean she's going to die?"

"Probably." Marik said quietly. "The poison's probably in her bloodstream already." He said, before he heard footsteps. The two blondes turned, but not fast enough, to see one man getting from the floor at coming at them.

"Master…"

Marik blinked, eyes wide. He kept Malik behind him. Suddenly the female servant ran out in front of him, taking the blow of the sword. While managing to keep herself on her feet, she drove the dagger through the man's chest, watching him collapse in an instant before falling to the floor.

"…Why did you do that?" Marik asked.

"…Couldn't let him hit you…" Rain answered weakly.

Malik, like Ryou, covered his hand with his mouth, seeing the girl beginning to whither, dying. Marik sighed. "…Thanks…" He said the words softly. Malik bit his lip as the girl closed her eyes. Marik turned away, and headed towards the door, away from his close to dead servant. "…After all this is sorted, we're going to bury all these people, enemy or not."

Marik headed into the hallway, keeping Malik close but behind him. "Stay close to me. I don't want you getting hurt. Now come on. Let's find Bakura."

Malik blinked with surprise as Marik led the way towards the stairs. _Why does he actually care about my protection?_

_

* * *

_

Chapter 12: End.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Yay. I updated. XD

As for Bakura's childhood, that comes a bit later in the fic, along with some of Ryou's shadowed past and such. :)

* * *

Bakura angrily turned away from the dent he had created in the wall from punching it, his knuckles now bruised. "Come on, kid. Let's go find the others."

Ryou didn't move.

"Hey! I'm talkingto you!" Bakura nearly screamed. He walked towards the boy, grabbing him by the shoulder and pulled him back roughly. He froze.

Ryou was deathly pale, looking slightly spacey. The room was spinning, the Master's face zoning in and out, getting blurry. He could hear Bakura talking, but he couldn't understand, the words slurring together.

Bakura leapt back when Ryou wretched, letting go. Ryou dropped to his knees instantly, shivering, before he threw up. Bakura just stood there, unsure of what to do. _Maybe it's from all the war remains…?_

Tears swam in his eyes and ran down his face, his entire body shaking like mad. Bile further rose into his throat before he further vomited, not caring that the Master could see it. The scent of blood and dead bodies was finally getting to him, and having to see the corpses and everything else wasn't helping.

Finally he was empty, and he toppled backwards.

Bakura caught the boy in his arms. Ryou was out cold, having fainted. His knees were bent slightly, his legs sprawled out in front of him, and his arms limp. Bakura swore quietly, scooping the teenager up into his arms. He didn't want to, but…

"Bakura? You up there?" Marik's voice drifted up the stairs.

"Yeah." Bakura answered, straightening. With Ryou still in his arms he headed down the staircase. The two Masters met at the middle. Bakura noticed Malik at Marik's side; however, Marik had one arm being used to support Malik. The servant was pale, and shaking a little, but managing to stay on his feet. Marik noticed. "…He's just a little sick right now, and shaken, but he says he'll be okay."

Malik noticed Ryou, who was in the Master's arms, limp. "What happened to Ryou…?"

"…I think all the blood and bodies finally got to the weakling." Bakura muttered. "He threw up and passed out."

Malik nibbled on his bottom lip, having just thrown up himself downstairs in the bathroom. _But it must be hard on Ryou if it made him faint like that…_

The four started downstairs in silence. Marik spoke up after a while. "…You do know we'll have to bury all these people…don't you?"

Bakura just grunted as response.

* * *

Ryou's eyes fluttered open. He felt nauseous, and weakened. He found that he could see the vast blue sky over him, and the sun was blazing overhead. He turned his head weakly to find himself lying on a towel in the grass, using the side of the building to keep himself upright, finding himself placed in the shade of the building. _How did I get out here…?_

He could see the others not too far away, and felt sick when he noticed Bakura dragging some of the bodies, Marik holding a shovel, and Malik clutching a handful of flowers. _…They're…burying the corpses…?_

He tried to remember what happened. He thought hard for a minute or two, and then realized it. Him and Bakura, upstairs… Crying…staring out of the window… Then he threw up and fainted…right? But those memories were fuzzy…

"Ryou?"

Ryou jumped, not even realizing Malik had come up to him. He turned his head, seeing Malik crouching down next to him, clutching the handful of flowers. "Hey. You feeling all right?"

"A little dizzy…" Ryou murmured, closing his chocolate eyes for a second.

"Master Bakura says you have a fever, and need to rest." Malik said quietly.

"How would he know?" Ryou whispered. "I thought he didn't care…"

"I told you. He has a soft spot somewhere deep down in that frozen heart of his, and apparently, it's towards you." Malik sat down. "I threw up too, so don't feel bad. After you passed out, Bakura carried you into the infirmary, and took your temperature… That's it. He left you there after that until this morning. The only reason you're outside now is because Master Marik said you needed some fresh air, and to get away from the scents of the blood and corpses and whatnot."

Ryou glanced towards the Masters. Suddenly he could hear Marik calling the blonde next to him. Malik got up quickly. "Sorry. I have to go help with the graves."

Ryou barely noticed, deep in thought. _How can he possibly have a soft spot for me? He was beating me until I couldn't stand up… But the only reason he probably stopped hitting me was because the castle became under attack…_

Bakura dropped the body into the freshly dug hole, Marik starting to fill the grave with dirt. He glanced towards Ryou, who had his eyes closed, having just fallen asleep. He looked away.

* * *

Ryou felt ill the next morning, more nauseous than previously. His head hurt, and the light burned his eyes, his stomach churning uneasily. He awoke fully, and scowled, realizing he was back in the infirmary, alone. He managed to sit up in the bed, leaning into the pillows. He didn't understand why he was there, but he just guessed someone out of the group took him back. 

He felt…strange. There was a tingling sensation inside of him, mainly in his neck… It began to hurt…

A sharp pain jolted straight up his throat. Ryou winced, clasping his right hand over the spot, and squeezing lightly in a near desperate attempt to try to ease the pain away. It didn't work.

Malik was cleaning, struggling to get the tidiness back under control. He was currently working on scrubbing a large stain of blood off the floor. Marik was straightening the pictures and fixing the frames, mending broken ones, and helping otherwise, such as dusting. Bakura was in a meeting with what very little amount of a force they had left, struggling to get that fixed.

Malik and Marik looked up when they heard a scream. Malik hurriedly got to his feet, nearly knocking the soapy, dirty water bucket over. The two went towards Ryou's room.

Malik got there first. Ryou was curled in a ball, whimpering in pain, his hand clutching the side of his neck so tight the color was draining slightly from lack of circulation. The albino had his eyes shut tight, trying to escape the pain he didn't understand.

"Ryou. Ryou, talk to me." Malik said, sitting on the side of the bed. "What's the matter?"

Ryou merely whimpered.

"Ryou, you have to tell me. I can't figure out what it is unless you say something."

Ryou removed his trembling fingers slowly, revealing the side of his tattooed neck. The single, black, slightly curved line was glowing, the light pulsing strongly. Ryou whimpered again. Suddenly he began to taste a mixture of blood and bile, and he clenched his teeth as the pain began to grow and rapidly spread, like a virus.

Meanwhile, Bakura was drawing a slight plan on the chalkboard in front of the mere fifteen people left of his army. Far more than half of them were heavily wounded and greatly weak. Seto seemed to be the least hurt out of the group, sitting calmly under the Master's gaze, blue eyes focused.

"Once the other regions realize the armies killed each off, they'll probably send more people." He pointed to his rough drawing of the first floor. "Now. What we have to figure out is-" The Master was interrupted by a screech of pain. He groaned. "I'll be back. Make yourselves useful and try to think of something while I'm gone."

He ran out of the room.

-

Ryou screamed again, crushing handfuls of blanket in his fists. The light was still there, but brighter, his tattoo alight. He was crying with pain, yet screaming, and gasping for breath. Malik was trying to comfort him, trying to get him to calm down, and Marik seemed unsure of what to do.

Tears fell like rain down his pale face in agony. It hurt so _much… _Why couldn't it just stop?

Suddenly Bakura burst into the room. "What's going on?"

Ryou slammed his eyes shut, screaming even louder as the light about his tattoo strengthened. Bakura's eyes grew wide in turn, the Master hurrying towards the boy.

There was a weird noise… Like something splitting…

Ryou shrieked with pain. The three other boys' eyes grew wide as the light grew near blinding. Suddenly the glass began to crack and shatter in the windows. Light bulbs exploded, lights shutting off, bookcases falling down, the marble floor cracking…

"Knock it off!" Bakura screamed, roughly trying to connect his fist with Ryou's arm. Ryou, sobbing, screamed suddenly.

Malik gasped slightly and Marik's eyes grew wide. Bakura's eyes grew to the size of saucers. His fist hit a sudden barrier that shot up around Ryou. Blood slipped down his torn knuckles. As Ryou's cries increased, Bakura made a low noise as his body was forced off the ground and was sent flying backwards, getting slammed into the wall, creating a dent in the structure.

All eyes turned to Ryou, who was sitting up in bed with his knees to his chest, his arms wrapped around himself, sobbing uncontrollably. His tattoo kept glowing, the barrier completely enveloping him. As he cried, more things in the room began to break and shatter to mere pieces.

"Stop it!" Bakura bellowed, going forward, trying to hit Ryou again. Once more, the barrier interfered. As Ryou's cries increased into loud wails, Bakura's eyes widened. Pieces from the top of the barrier crumbled slightly, changing into the shape of daggers, flying towards Bakura. The Master managed to dodge them at first, but they just kept coming and going. Finally one sliced his arm, and one slammed into his back, another into the back of his thigh. The Master fell to the floor.

"Master Bakura!" Malik hurried to his side, along with Marik. Bakura was breathing hard from getting battered, blood dripping to the floor. He swore, one eye closed in pain.

"You idiot. You can't attack a barrier." Marik nearly growled, from the Master's foolishness. "You have to get through with your mind. Attacking him directly won't do anything."

Bakura snarled. "Then what's _your _idea?"

Bakura was interrupted. Suddenly the electricity shut off completely, and Ryou screamed and cried as the light grew brighter in one jolt. Suddenly he felt like couldn't breathe. The air seemed to be growing heavy. One second it was hot and then suddenly the temperature plummeted.

Malik inched away until he was right beside Marik, nibbling in fear on his lower lip. Marik stood there at Malik's side.

Bakura gasped as the temperature notably dropped, and suddenly, there was ice. It spread like snow in a flash, covering the floors and forming from the ceiling. Suddenly Malik squeaked as he glanced towards the door, which was getting frozen shut. Ryou just shrieked and cried in agony.

Bakura made his way slowly across the slippery floor, layer after layer of ice forming. He went to Ryou's bed, and stood there. The barrier was smudging violently, as if out of control, hardening constantly and getting thicker or larger. He reached out and put his hand on the barrier, and yelped. A jolt of electricity shot through his arm, following by slitting open his palm. Ryou was wailing.

"Ryou, stop it. You're going to kill us all if you don't knock it off." Bakura growled in a dangerous voice. He noticed something else. The light about Ryou's neck was turning red, which wasn't normal. _Then there must be something wrong, either with his Mark or magic…_

Bakura noticed a tiny hole in the top of the barrier from where the daggers had been formed earlier. He drove his fist into it, mentally wishing for good luck. Suddenly the top of the barrier caved in, and it crumbled like a sandcastle getting in water.

Ryou screamed as the barrier around him fell apart. Tears poured down his face, his eyes outlined in red and swollen slightly. Suddenly he felt what little strength drain right out of him…

The other three boys watched Ryou as his eyes rolled backwards slightly, and he pitched forward. Bakura caught him, growling in the process. Suddenly there was a rumbling sound.

"What was that?" Malik asked, frowning.

Suddenly the ice beneath them began to dissolve, and sharp shards of icicles began to fall from the ceiling. Marik made sure to protect Malik, and Bakura snarled with annoyance, reluctantly using the now bloodied blanket to cover Ryou.

Ryou's eyes were barely open, glazed over by this point. Bakura huffed. "He cannot control his powers, apparently, or his magic. He doesn't need to have a Mark."

Marik pried the door open, which was getting the final touches of being thawed out. "He just got his Mark. What do you expect? Were you able to control your every ability on contact? I think not." Marik said, leading Malik into the hallway.

Bakura went after the two of them, Ryou being held in his arms.

Ryou closed his eyes. He could barely hear them… Bakura sounded angry… _"He can't control his powers…" … "Neither could you…" … "…Lock him up… No more trouble…" _Ryou's mind was slipping away. _N…No… No…more…prisons…_

"He's going into the basement, whether you like it or not. And he's staying there this time, where I won't have to deal with this mess. Nor will his magic be able to affect us. He's unable to keep under control." Bakura said the words as he headed towards the stairs. "He's going right now."

Malik watched in sadness as Ryou – who was unconscious – was carried down the stairs by the Master… _He can't help it… How is locking him up fair…? He's only going to feel worse… _He decided to bring that up. "Master Marik?"

"What is it?"

"…R…Ryou…w-what's going on?" Malik asked, blinking up at the blonde Master with pale lavender eyes.

Marik sighed, leaning against the wall. "From what's going on… I think his powers are starting to trigger and grow, but he can't handle – or control – them yet."

"So why is Master Bakura locking him up?"

"Apparently he thinks Ryou is just being a nuisance and that the situation doesn't deserve his time. That's where he's wrong. Things are probably only going to get worse." He forced a small grin. "Now, come on. You can help me mop up all this water."

Malik slowly obeyed, worried.

* * *

Chapter 13: End. 


	14. Chapter 14

Bakura snarled as he went down the basement stairs. He traveled through the combination of a prison and dungeon, Ryou unconscious in his arms. He went deep, where it grew even darker and colder. He found a cell that was even smaller than last time. He grabbed the metal bars and pulled, opening the door. He went inside, before roughly tossing Ryou across the bed.

Ryou rolled across the bed before coming to a stop on his side, one arm falling over his side, and his head to falling to face the wall.

Bakura stood there for a minute or two, and snarled with disgust. "I never should've taken you in to start with. All you've done is waste my time…"

He left, making sure to lock the cell door.

-

Malik nibbled on his bottom lip. "Master Marik… D…Did I ask you the wrong question or something? I mean you just…kind of changed the subject a little quick…"

Marik sighed. "I just feel sorry for the kid. And when you talk about Ryou when he's in trouble, it makes you feel down, which isn't something I like to see."

Malik felt himself blush, and nodded, lowering his gaze to the floor to continue mopping.

* * *

_W…Where am I…? _Ryou groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. He felt weak and uncomfortable… He tried to sit up, managing to prop himself up on his elbows. He found himself in a small, dark prison cell. The ceiling occasionally dripped water, the paint on the walls was chipping, and the floor had cracks… He found that his bed was barely even considered that, being nearly a flat sheet of what felt like metal that was wrapped in a tattered sheet, and another sheet that was supposedly used to cover himself, and a battered, bare pillow. 

Ryou slowly realized Bakura had indeed thrown him back into the basement. He felt tears pulse in his eyes, and he couldn't hold them in. All he could was cry.

He cried for a while, before he heard footsteps. He lifted his head, struggling to look out of the prison bars. He recognized the footsteps, and he whimpered.

Bakura appeared, and looked blankly into Ryou's cell. The teen looked up slightly, trying to meet his eyes, a small spark of hope flickering. Bakura snorted, and then the spark was smothered and went out.

Ryou's chin trembled as he struggled not to cry. He was actually foolish enough to hope Bakura would let him out… Suddenly Bakura jammed a key into the lock and pulled the door open. The Master walked inside, and tucked the key into his back pocket, striding up to Ryou, who was staring at his knees, sniffling.

"…So you're finally awake." Bakura said simply, his voice simple and gruff.

"…M…Master Bakura…" Ryou took a shuddering breath, expecting the worst. "…W…Why am I being locked up…?"

Bakura growled, his eyes flashing. He lunged, grabbing Ryou by the shirt collar and lifted him up slightly, so that they boy was barely on his knees. "Why _shouldn't _you be locked up?" He said coldly.

Ryou felt tears forming in his eyes. Bakura shoved him so hard he was sent tumbling backwards and collided with the wall, before falling to the bed.

"You're putting all of us at risk by just being here. You can't control your magic, and more naïve than I've ever seen. You make me mad by just _being_ here." Bakura snarled, gritting his teeth.

Ryou was crying. He finally felt like he couldn't take it anymore. He wouldn't let himself get locked up again… "I hate you!" Ryou screamed the words, getting up so that he was on his knees. "Why don't you just throw me out?! Then you'll be all happy by yourself! You won't have to look at me! Better yet, why did you even take me out of the castle?! You could've left me here to die!" Ryou screamed the words as loud as could, his eyes shut tight with tears cascading down his face. "I can't help that I can't handle my powers! I just received my Mark not too long ago and you act like I've had since I was born! I wish Malik was the Master, or I was Master Marik's servant! At least he doesn't beat me like you do! At least _they're_ nice to me!" Ryou opened his eyes, glowering up at the albino. "I _hate_ you!"

Bakura felt himself shaking with rage. With a loud snarl, he lunged out, grabbing Ryou around his throat. Ryou's eyes grew wide, and Bakura slammed him into the wall as he leapt onto the bed. Ryou choked as Bakura threw him into the brick wall, hitting his head slightly. He drove his fist hard into Ryou's chest, and began to hit him, getting his fist wherever he could, mainly his chest and stomach. Ryou writhed in his grasp, struggling to get free, and refused to scream. As Bakura's hand came in his range, Ryou growled, and bit down as hard as he could.

Bakura snarled and let go as Ryou bit the side of his hand. Ryou glared up at him, panting, with bruises forming on his revealed skin. His shirt was ripped slightly from Bakura, and he had a cut on his face that was bleeding. Bakura cuffed him hard on the back of the head, making Ryou whimper. "You _dog. _You really are a piece of street trash."

Ryou's eyes grew wide. Bakura grabbed him by the shirt, pulled back his hand, and slapped him as hard as he possibly could. Ryou sobbed with pain, nearly half of the left side of his face turning bright red. To make it worse, Bakura punched him, making Ryou's nose bleed instantly from the blow. He shoved Ryou, who fell to the bed, limp.

"I am _sick_ of this!" Bakura bellowed, looming over Ryou like a vicious shadow. He grabbed a handful of Ryou's hair and threw him onto his stomach, roughly tearing Ryou's shirt up and over his head. Ryou fought weakly, but to no avail. Bakura undid his belt, folded it slightly, and began the familiar process. He grinned as Ryou screamed into the battered pillow as he struck the belt across his bare skin as hard as he possibly could muster.

It wouldn't have hurt this much, but with those healing scars, it hurt worse… Bakura was reopening a few old injuries, making his back bleed. He kept his head buried in the pillow where his screams were muffled, and he tried to fight back, but Bakura was so strong… Suddenly Bakura grabbed a handful of his hair and jerked his head upwards, making their gazes meet. Ryou's chin trembled as he stared at Bakura, and felt himself shiver as a sadistic smile coated Bakura's lips, the albino Master holding a familiar blade in front of Ryou's eyes. "I hope it hurts."

Ryou screamed as the all-too-familiar cutting and stabbing and hitting started all over again. He sobbed and screamed in pain, hoping that Bakura would stop. Finally, after a long time, it ended.

Bakura shoved Ryou down, hard, and wiped the blood away on the dagger. "You're not getting out of here any time soon. Maybe you'll come to like this cell better."

Ryou hazily watched Bakura leave, his wounds bleeding heavily. He watched the room grow fuzzy, and then he fainted, getting blood all over the already dirty sheets.

* * *

Malik was carrying a tray, heading towards the basement. Ryou's food was wrapped up, just in case he wasn't hungry. 

He went through the halls quickly, knowing which number cell Ryou was locked in, because Bakura told him the day he locked him up. He found it quickly, and gasped.

Ryou was sitting in a fetal position, his knees to his chest, sobbing, with his arms wrapped about them. There was blood all over the sheets and dried on his body. It wasn't just Ryou that scared him.

The inside of the cell was a disaster, worse than the situation earlier.

A barrier at least four inches thick was swirled around Ryou. The floor was completely coated in ice, at least three times over, along with the walls, and icicles hung from the ceiling in groups. Ryou was shaking on the bed from tears, but Malik noticed that nowhere inside the barrier was there ice. "Ryou? Ryou, are you okay?"

Ryou didn't answer.

Malik noticed that the lock was luckily not frozen. He hurriedly unlocked the prison door and went inside with Ryou's food.

"Go away…" Ryou whispered, his voice shaking.

Malik yelped and leapt back as a large icicle, bigger than he was, shot out of the floor. "Ryou, please! I only want to help you."

But it was as if that was the wrong answer. More of the icicles came out of the floor, getting Malik nearly enclosed. The blonde managed to get out just before they formed a circle that was taller than he was. Malik set the tray down on the side table, and started towards Ryou's bed, narrowly avoiding sharper jags of ice as they shot out of the floor.

Ryou screamed, the barrier suddenly thickening. Malik jumped as more ice came from the floor, and his eyes widened as it trapped his leg in an instant. "Ryou! Ryou, please, stop this! I just want to make sure you're okay!"

Ryou just kept crying.

"_Ryou!" _Malik screamed the boy's name as the ice spread across the room in a terribly thick layer, encasing him up to his knees. "Ryou,_ please!"_

…_M…Ma…lik… H…He…lp…me… I…c…can't…_

Malik's eyes widened as Ryou fell backwards, slumping against the wall of the barrier, his eyes glazed over. He also noticed Ryou's tattoo glowing red slightly. He watched in horror as more ice began to viciously take over the cell. Malik felt himself shaking with cold.

Malik's eyes grew wide as he noticed the ice beginning to coat the prison cell door and began to furl through the bars, escaping the cell and getting into the narrow corridor outside.

_M…Ma…ke…it…stop… P…Pl…ease… _Ryou could barely see. It was uncomfortably hot inside of the barrier, so the ice went nowhere near it. He could hear Malik screaming at him, trying to get his attention. He turned his head weakly, his eyes clouded, to see the ice trapping Malik, the boy hollering for him to stop. _I…I'm…hu…rt…ing…M…Ma…lik… N…No… No… D…Do…n't…let…M…Malik…g…get hu…rt…_

Malik's eyes widened as Ryou's tattoo lit up brighter. Suddenly the ice around his legs cracked and crumbled, freeing him. Ryou smiled weakly, sadly, at him. He was about to say something, or hurry towards Ryou, when a sudden force threw him back. "Ryou?!" The boy screamed Ryou's name, but he didn't seem to hear him.

The ice was spreading. Malik watched, terrified, as it began to take over the floor and walls and ceiling of the prison hallway. Panicking, he fled towards the stairs, screaming for the two Masters.

Ryou slumped further inside of the barrier, which was completely around him, making him float above the bed. He felt his head press against it, feeling the heat increase. He gazed out, seeing that Malik was gone, and could see the ice spreading like a wildfire… He smiled a little, knowing that Malik wasn't hurt…

-

"Master Bakura!" Malik screamed as he ran down the hallway. "Master Bakura!"

"What is it?" Bakura snarled, looking up from a book as Malik ran past him, the Master sitting in a chair that was placed in the hallway. With less people around, he could now read out of his bedroom, while still able to focus.\

"R-Ryou!" Malik stuttered, out of breath. "H-His powers are-"

"I don't care. As long as it's not bothering me, it's not a problem." Bakura muttered carelessly, going back to his reading.

"Who's screaming?" Marik asked, peering out from the room he was in, currently trying to clean up a little. "Malik? Are you okay?"

Malik nodded hurriedly. "B-But Ryou… Ryou's in trouble… H-His powers are out of control again… A-And it's even worse than last time…"

Bakura groaned. "Fine. I'll make sure he gets straightened out." He said, getting to his feet, and headed towards the basement.

When they arrived, Bakura was the first to open the door. They made it down the steps and traveled halfway down the corridor before they all stopped.

The hallway was covered in ice. The substance was spreading rapidly. Malik glanced at Bakura, who was standing there with wide eyes. The albino Master ran down the hallway, struggling not to slip on the ice. Marik helped Malik.

Bakura froze as he made it to Ryou's cell, feeling his heart beginning to pick up speed. _Ra… _His hands curled around the frozen bars. "Ryou…?"

* * *

Chapter 14: End. 


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Lol here's the chapter you guys wanted. XD Oh yeah. I finished Haunted the day after Christmas. I think alerts were down then, because I never got one myself, but chapter three was put up. :) You can finish reading that if you haven't already.

* * *

Bakura stared wide-eyed through the bars into the cell. The tiny, box-like room was swarming with ice. It was everywhere. A barrier, thicker than before, was firm around Ryou's body. Since it was under him, Ryou was floating a bit from the bed. He was slumped inside the barrier, his head in the crook of the barrier, and his legs bent. His eyes were glazed over, looking as if he was spacing out or on the verge of unconsciousness.

Bakura carefully started into the room, swinging himself over ridge after ridge of icicles that were coming out of the floor, bigger than he was. He could barely move through the room. The ice cut open his white shirt, and he flinched as more ice shot up suddenly. He looked to the cell door, where Malik and Marik were standing nervously. The sudden ice appearing made him fall backwards. He quickly composed himself, making his way towards Ryou. The ice suddenly shot up, cutting open his leg. Blood dripped to the transparent icicles. Bakura ignored it and kept going. He couldn't walk; he had to slide and crouch and squeeze, struggling to get around the vicious swarm of ice that was taking over. He knew that if he didn't get out soon he'd be trapped in the cell and die.

He staggered to Ryou's bed, where the barrier was. Ryou didn't notice him. The Master growled lowly, and banged his fists on the barrier. He could feel very strong warmth coming out, so hot it burned his fingertips. He noticed the ice wasn't even crawling close to the barrier. He screamed at the teen, pounding on the barrier.

Ryou blinked slowly and heavily, his tattoo still glowing red. Tears still fell down his porcelain cheeks, and dripped to the floor of the barrier or to his ripped jeans.

He could barely hear Bakura, the Master pounding viciously against the barrier. Ryou swallowed, his eyes darkening. Every time Bakura hit the barrier, he felt as if someone just drove a knife into him. His heart hurt…

"Knock it off!" Bakura screamed, his fists bruising.

"…G…Go…a…aw…ay…" Ryou whispered. Apparently Bakura didn't hear, for he kept pounding and screaming.

His heart twisted. Ryou watched the room spin into a swirling image of colors and lines. He felt like he would be sick. A sudden lash of hate hit him. More tears cascaded down his face. He was watching his memories, remembering; Bakura abusing and beating him until he was bleeding or fainted, the screaming, the hitting, the near starvation, the cold and darkness of the basement… Ryou's voice rose into a bellow of rage, _"Go away!"_

Malik gasped. A jagged shard of ice shot out from nowhere, getting hold of Bakura and sent him crashing backwards, pinning him.

Ryou rose to his feet inside the barrier, which instantly shifted and stretched to fit Ryou's position. The albino was shaking, still crying, but barely. A hate crashed into him, and he suddenly felt so angry that if he didn't do something now he would burst. His tattoo glowed twice as bright. _"I hate you!"_

Malik grasped the ice-coated bars so tight his veins showed. He watched as another, larger shard shot out, striking Bakura in his chest. The Master fell into a crook of three icicles, bleeding. Bakura panted, and started to reach towards his chest, where blood showed. But ice spread up his legs and froze, encasing him. Bakura's eyes grew wide, unable to run.

"Master Bakura!" Malik screamed, feeling himself burst into tears. He tried to run inside to possibly help, but Marik grabbed him and pulled him back. "Let me go!"

Marik held him tight and close. "I can't. You'll just run in there and get yourself caught in the middle. Bakura got himself into the mess, and now he can try to get himself out."

"But… But he's going to die…" Malik whispered, fighting weakly.

Marik didn't say anything to this, but Malik felt his hands and arms tighten slightly. Malik went limp, and sniffled, and didn't fight anymore against the man's hold.

Bakura's Mark alit in an attempt to free himself, but Ryou's bitter hate and deep depression was more than enough fuel, making him even faster than the Master. Right as the ice tried to crumble, Ryou's powers went deeper, and a thicker layer of ice raced up, encasing Bakura up to his waist, and spreading faster than a fire.

Bakura choked as the ice reached his neck. The Master couldn't breathe. He choked weakly, and Ryou's figure began to spiral into a smudge.

"Master Bakura!" Malik screamed, desperately trying to get out off Marik's grip. He pulled free and started to run into the icy room, but Marik was quicker, holding him back. Malik cried, struggling weakly against him. Marik remained very quiet and said nothing.

Suddenly Ryou's eyes went blank. Bakura watched weakly as the boy's eyes rolled backwards just slightly, and became engulfed in darkness. The barrier burst like a bubble and Ryou fell like a stone to the bed, his limbs sprawled and his head rolled to one side. Bakura sank to the floor, the ice slowly beginning to crumble.

He couldn't hold on. The lack of air from being encased was getting to him…

Malik watched, teary-eyed as Bakura passed out. Ryou was already unconscious, lying on the bed. He turned to the taller blonde. "M-Master Marik…"

"He'll be fine. Ryou probably just made him faint from all the cold and from the ice capturing him. He'll be okay." Marik said quietly, placing his hand on Malik's shoulder.

* * *

_W…Wh…ere…am…I…?_

Ryou found that he was unable to move, nor could he open his eyes. He could hear voices, but they were slurred and twisted, unable to identify the owners or what they were saying…

Malik and Marik stood quietly at the side of the bed, watching. Bakura was on the other side, glaring at Ryou. Typically he dressed nice and fancy, but today, he was wearing a thick, black hoodie with a sweatshirt on under it, and a thick pair of pajama pants. After being near frozen by Ryou, Marik said it would be a little while more before his body was comfortable with the environment. He said he needed to stay warm.

_W…Who's…there…? _Ryou strained. _I…I want…_

All fell silent as Ryou's eyelids fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes. His eyes were engulfed in darkness, dark as night. He said nothing, unable to see.

Malik felt uneasy. Seto was also in the room, working on making Ryou stable. There were IVs everywhere; in fact, Ryou was _swarming _with needles and IVs and tubes. There was an oxygen mask over his face, just in case…

"He can't see us, and I doubt he can actually understand what we're saying."

"Why not?" Malik asked, not truly understanding why. He had always been a little uncomfortable to ask.

"It depends." Seto said simply, and went back to his work. Malik watched him connect the IVs to several objects, even a heart monitor standing up next to the bed, beeping, Ryou's pulse steady.

Suddenly pictures took form in Ryou's brain, the kind only he could see: memories. Painful memories against Bakura, and his past that was laced with darkness…

"_Shut up!" Bakura screamed, harshly knocking Ryou backwards._

_Ryou whimpered as he shoved him into the wall, Bakura snarling, pinning him there. Blood dripped from his open wounds and he lifted his head slowly, pale face streaked with crystal tears and his face lined with purple and black bruises._

_Bakura just growled, before roughly driving his fist against him._

"What's happening?!" Malik asked, panicking slightly.

The beeping sound of Ryou's pulse from the heart monitor was increasing rapidly. Soon the room was filled with beeps, coming quicker than before… "I don't know. Apparently there's something going on in his brain that's making him panic, or he's about to hyperventilate," Seto answered.

"_Get up!" Bakura screamed the words, Ryou sprawled across the floor, panting and bleeding. With a whimper Ryou shakily got to his knees, before Bakura kicked him, making him fall back down onto his side._

"_Don't be weak, you pansy." Bakura snarled, grabbing Ryou by a lock of his hair and yanking. Ryou gasped slightly in pain, too weak to fight back._

_Bakura swore, and curled his two pale, bloody hands around Ryou's shirt collar, easily hoisting him above the ground. Ryou screamed as Bakura punched him, before breaking into whimpers, blood dripping onto his clothes._

"_You make me sick…" Bakura snarled, dropping him, Ryou falling with a small _thud _to the floor._

_Ryou was in tears, getting blood on the black and white tiled floor. His face was bruised and smeared with blood. Blood…so much blood…_

"_Pathetic…" Bakura snarled, roughly kicking him, making Ryou whimper._

Marik was struggling to keep Malik calm, who was growing far more panicky, Ryou's pulse getting faster but his breathing seemed strained.

Bakura stood on the other side of the bed, his face utterly emotionless. He watched Seto as the brunette began to work faster, "He _is _beginning to hyperventilate… This isn't good… With him already so unstable-"

They were interrupted. Ryou suddenly screamed around the oxygen mask, his pulse rapid and his breathing was struggled. He seemed to be choking, trembling. He was gasping for air but he merely seemed to choke around each breath…

"…I…Is…he going to die?" Malik asked, swallowing thickly.

Marik, however, hesitated. For one, he didn't want to raise Malik's hopes, but he didn't want him to be upset… "…Seto will probably get all of this sorted out." He glanced at Malik. "Keep an eye on him for me. I need to talk to Bakura for a minute, alone."

Before anyone had a chance to question, Marik walked towards the door, roughly seizing Bakura by his wrist and dragged him into the hallway, before closing the door.

"What was that about?" Bakura growled, arms folded across his chest.

"I hate it when you act like this. Someone is dying and you don't care. Let alone, it's a child. A teenager that's hurt and alone, all because of what you've done. Maybe if you had actually tried to do something about it, instead of throwing him into that _prison… _Maybe if you had actually tried to comfort him or at least tried to get him to open up instead of beating him until the point of unconsciousness…" Marik shook his head. "I'm disappointed. Just because he can't control his Mark you think it's an automatic loss, and just try to throw him out." Marik sighed. "I would've loved to have a kid like that. He was late on that first day because he was working. He probably would be loyal to you if you hadn't have beaten him senseless… A person can only take so much…"

"This isn't any of your business!" Bakura screamed, fists clenching at his sides. "So get your face out of it! I don't care what you think! You're not the one that has to deal with it!"

"…So now he's an 'it'?"

Bakura snarled, lunging, and slammed Marik into the wall. "Shut up! I said this isn't any of your business!"

"Apparently it is." Marik said calmly, not bothered by Bakura's outburst, already used to his low patience and high temper.

Bakura's left eye twitched, before his fist went back, trying to punch Marik. Marik's Mark lit up in an instant, sending Bakura falling backwards and onto his rear. "Idiot. If he dies, then you're doomed. There's no way you can win a war with a little over fifteen people. And I think Ryou could be a real help, but it's too late for that. There's no way he'll obey you now."

Suddenly a scream broke the tense silence, sounding like one from Malik.

Marik hurried back inside. Bakura made his way much slower. As he entered, he stopped. Malik was crying into his hands with Marik beside him, trying to calm him down. Seto was working even faster, seeming struggled. What caught his eye, however, was Ryou.

The swarming medical devices had at least doubled since he first left. Ryou's pulse was still rapid, filling the room with beeps. He noticed Ryou wasn't moving. His chest didn't move, as if he wasn't breathing. However, he could see Ryou's lips moving just slightly for another breath of air. His Mark wasn't activated.

Suddenly the beeping decreased.

Bakura's gaze flew to Seto, who seemed to be unsure of what to do. Seto looked at him. "M-Master Bakura… I don't understand this boy. This isn't supposed to be happen-"

A beep interrupted him, Ryou's pulse going down.

"This isn't what is supposed to be happening! He should already be awake and-"

"Do something!" Malik screamed. "Don't just sit there… Please…"

Bakura took a shaking breath, feeling as if something was clutching his throat. As each beep went through the room, Bakura was positive he could hear a heart beating.

"_Master Bakura…"_

Bakura's eyes widened, and he looked around, but no one had said his name. No one… Everyone was preoccupied…

"_My mother and sister died, and my father left after that…"_

Bakura leaned against the wall, pressing a hand to his forehead. But that voice – Ryou's voice – just kept going…

Suddenly Malik screamed the boy's name again, and as Bakura looked, he noticed the monitor was flat. No movement; no pulse.

Malik was sobbing, and sank to the floor, Marik going with him, trying his best to comfort Malik, but it wasn't any use… Malik just kept crying…

_T…This…can't be real… _Bakura thought to himself, but then it dawned on him. It was reality.

* * *

Chapter 15: End. 


	16. Chapter 16

Ugh. I haven't updated this story since, like, Jaunary... I'm so sorry. D8 I had the worst writer's block on this story... And you know with the situation that had been going on and stuff... But now both the situation and writer's block is over! So updates are going to be coming a lot quicker now. :)

* * *

"_M-Master Bakura…"_

"_Don't feed me that!" Bakura screamed, pinning Ryou against the floor, slapping him across the face. Ryou whimpered audibly, tears glistening in his wide mocha orbs._

Bakura hazily watched the group from the wall he was leaning against. He kept one hand to his forehead, struggling to keep his breath even. Ryou was talking…but no one seemed to notice… _Am I the only one that can hear it…?_

He glanced at the others. Malik was crying and Marik was looking in his direction, an emotionless stare on his face. Seto was struggling to keep a hold. His gaze slowly went to Ryou.

He was swarming with medical equipment. Bakura didn't even understand what some of the devices were there for. Ryou's shirt was pulled up to his neck, revealing healing injuries and his skinny body. To Bakura, the cords taped to Ryou's chest were alien. He didn't understand.

Ryou was motionless.

"_I hate you!" Ryou screamed, his eyes clamped shut with tears pouring down his face. His fists clenched at his sides. "I hate you, Bakura!"_

_The Master snarled, grabbing Ryou and slammed him down, pinning him, and glaring down upon him._

_The beatings went on._

Bakura pressed his hands to his forehead. One minute he was staring at Ryou's bed, and the next thing he knew, he was sinking towards the floor, before he sat down, cradling his aching head in his hands.

_I don't care! So why won't the memories stop…? _Bakura nearly whimpered. _Make it stop…_

"Bakura." The voice called, but the Master didn't hear.

"_M-Master Bakura… C…Can you tell me anything about your childhood?"_

_Bakura snarled, glaring at him with daggers in his eyes, a flame of intense anger sparking. He watched as Ryou inched away, refraining from hitting him. "…Don't you ever ask me that again."_

"Bakura!"

Bakura's head snapped up. Marik was calling his name… Bakura took a shaky breath. "What?"

"…Seto doesn't think he's going to make it…" Marik said quietly, and Malik finally lifted his head, sniffling, his eyes reddened.

"I don't see why it bothers you so much. Don't be weak." Bakura growled to Malik, his eyes darkening. "You already know that crying isn't acceptable."

Malik visibly bristled. "How do you expect me not to?! It's not that I'm like you! Ryou's my friend! And now that he's about to die you're telling me to not be weak?! To not cry?!" Malik screamed.

Bakura froze. Malik had never talked back to him before: at least not like this… "Malik," he growled, eyes darkening further in rage. "I can give you the same treatment Ryou received if you don't hold your tongue. Got it?"

Malik didn't say anything, rubbing at his eyes.

"Bakura, shut up. You act as if everyone is as cold as you. You're not even trying. Look at yourself. Sitting there on the floor, acting like you don't care at all that the kid is dying."

"That's because I _don't_ care." Bakura said near emotionlessly. He kept his eyes level and his gaze firm, glaring into Marik's direction.

"…I can't believe you. I can't _believe _you…" Marik said with a growl, dragging a tanned hand through his sandy blonde hair. "You're so selfish and bitter. No wonder you're alone deep down. I hope someone shows you what if feels like to be dying. Maybe then you'll change your mind."

Malik spoke up again. "…I-Isn't there a way to save him?"

Bakura was quiet, on his feet again, leaning against the wall, his arms folded across his chest. He glared at the floor, and muttered, "There is. But don't expect me to."

Marik swore. "_Bakura. _I am going to beat you until you cough up your own blood if you don't help him right this _minute_."

"What are you, my mother?" Bakura scoffed, two pale hands on his hips. "Like I'm afraid of you."

"Ryou's my _friend!_" Malik screamed suddenly. He couldn't keep it in anymore. "Don't you care about anyone but _yourself?! _I don't blame Ryou for hating you! He has every reason to!" Malik screeched, the tears coming again.

Bakura felt himself shaking with rage. He didn't even have a chance to bring his fist back to hit Malik, because Marik drove his own straight into his face. Bakura fell instantly onto his rear, a nasty bruise already forming.

"…J…Just get out! Just get out of here if you're not going to do anything!" Malik screamed.

Bakura sat there for a minute or two, silent, his bangs covering his eyes. Blood dripped from the side of his mouth. Suddenly his shoulders began to shake, low crackles of laughter emitting from the Master. He rose, his laughter rising with him.

The others merely stared, their eyes slightly widening as the master threw back his head, and laughed.

"Oh, so it's like I'm the bad guy now…" Bakura chuckled as he wiped the blood from his mouth. "Quite the opposite. That boy deserved everything he received…"

"How is abuse fair, Bakura? He didn't do anything to you, and you beat him until he was black and blue and cried almost every night. It's your fault, Bakura. You _are _the criminal."

Bakura's grin faded instantly. His brown, crimson tinted eyes narrowed as well, and his hands visibly clenched up. "Really, now?"

Malik's eyes grew wide as Bakura's tattoo visibly glowed. Bakura smirked a little, and Malik was positive he could see Bakura's eyes glowing red.

"We'll see about that." Bakura stated simply, without any emotion at all. However, as he left the room, they could still see the glow emitting from his tattooed neck.

-

"_You're not going to let him win this…are you? To let him win against you… He hurt you so much, and you're just going to sit around and die?"_

_But… I don't have a chance against him… I'm nothing to him but a dog… _Ryou's reply to the voice was weak, exhausted; he felt tired to the very bones…

"_But perhaps that can be changed… Maybe you'll be the one… The one person that Bakura has met his match within…"_

_Impossible… I can't… I can't win… I've already lost… _Ryou whispered back, lying on his back. He didn't know where he was… But he had been talking to this voice for what seemed like forever… _I'm going to die…_

"_No you're not. Get up. Get up and show him what you're capable of… You're even more powerful than he is… Now get up and prove it… Show it… Don't be afraid of him any longer… You can do much better than fear…"_

And then he could stand. He got to his feet, trembling, but he managed to stand up.

"_Good. Now go show him what you're made of."_

And he obeyed, without another word.

-

The three stared at the now shut door after Bakura had just left. A sudden, low moan snapped them all out of their thoughts at once, and all of them glanced down.

Ryou was moaning on the bed, sounding like he was in a horrible pain. They glanced at each other then, and even Seto himself looked confused…

Ryou's eyes fluttered open then, slowly. He stared blankly at the ceiling momentarily, and then turned his head weakly. He could see three blurry figures, and slowly, they focused.

Bakura was thankfully not one of them.

"R-Ryou?" Malik asked, carefully prodding Ryou on the arm, trying to be gentle, but a sudden rush was making him shake horribly.

"M…Malik?" Ryou asked in a crackly voice, looking pure exhausted.

"You're_ alive! _Ra, I thought you were going to die!_" _Malik hugged him then, without really thinking about it. However, at the cry of pain Ryou gave, he quickly stopped. "…Oh… I-I'm sorry… It's just…"

"I…It's fine…" Ryou murmured softly, trying to sit up. With an agonized cry, he fell back onto the bed.

"Quit moving around so much. Your condition isn't that great right now," Marik interrupted.

They noticed he was staring at the door, eyes narrowed slightly with his arms folded across his chest.

"Something's bothering you… Am I right?" Malik asked quietly, looking up at him.

Marik sighed, more to himself. "Something is going on with Bakura. I mean, the way he just started laughing… And then his Mark started glowing like that…" He huffed a little. "I don't like it. It isn't normal…"

"Not that Master Bakura is normal…" Malik murmured, mostly to himself than anyone else. He then focused back on Marik. "Should we see what happened to him?"

Marik pondered it for a moment or two. "…What about your friend there?"

"It's weird. His body functions are all perfectly normal… He seems to be fine now, and probably will be back up to regular standards by tomorrow morning with some sleep," Seto answered, eyes narrowed a little. "But it still seems strange that he should already be recovering…"

They glanced down at Ryou, who had apparently fallen asleep.

"The poor kid is probably exhausted. But… Honestly… I don't really want to leave him here by himself," Marik muttered.

"I'd watch him, but I'm on a schedule. And I think I'm late for my next appointment. I'll see you guys later."

They watched Seto snatch up his cases and exit in a rush, running down the empty hallway.

"…He's always busy with something." Malik said then, breaking the deafening silence. "But I think you're right… If Bakura shows up… Then Ryou will be completely defenseless…" He bit his lip. "Should we drag him along?"

"I don't really think there's a choice in the matter." Marik lifted Ryou from the bed. "Are you going to carry him, or am I?"

"I guess I will…" Malik murmured, and took Ryou from the blonde Master. Ryou was limp in his arms, almost like a broken doll… He blinked. He did _look_ like a doll, only bigger… He hefted Ryou onto his back.

"All right then. I guess we should check out his room. We'll have to be careful, though. All right?" Marik began towards the hallway with Malik at his heels.

As they weaved through the halls, Malik could feel Ryou moving uneasily on his back. He even heard a few whimpers. And then he heard Ryou beginning to whisper in a near heartbroken voice. But he couldn't understand the words…

But even then, it sent a chill up his spine…

"Come on. We're almost there."

-

His pale fingers curled about the back of his neck then. He growled to himself, one eye closed in annoyance. Then it felt like it was burning… His pale, thin digits tightened about the x on the base of his neck, which felt like it was on fire…

He gripped the feather pen harder in his right hand, writing harder, with more force.

The pain in his neck worsened, and as both grips tightened, he felt the pen break in his hand.

Ink spilled onto the letter he had been writing and onto the desk as the broken pen collided with the small bottle, causing it to tip over in an instant.

He snarled, both hands going to the spot on his neck.

The glow brightened, and he snarled louder that time. With his eyes glowing a malicious red, he screamed, head tilted upwards. And the sharpest, strangest fire of pain started inside of him…

And he never noticed the two blondes step into his doorway.

* * *

Chapter 16: End.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Okay, so I updated. At least I didn't leave you guys hanging for a long period of time. (Which I know I do sometimes...)

Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Malik watched, completely terrified. He glanced at Marik, and he, too, seemed shocked in the least. He glanced back at Bakura.

The Master was on his knees, black ink upon his hands, which were in fists upon the floor. His head was tilted to the ceiling, and his tattoo was visibly glowing through his snowy hair. But that wasn't what was scaring him.

It was his face…

The Master's eyes were a vicious blood red, and he was sure he could see fangs protruding from his mouth. His screams nearly made his blood bubble… Bakura's screams were loud, drawn out; he actually sounded like he was in pain for once…

He then stopped. Without a sound he fell forward, collapsing onto the floor.

"Bakura?" Marik was the first one to enter. He went up to the albino, brushing the stray stands of white away, revealing his Mark. It was pulsing with a red glow…

Suddenly the normal red darkened to a pitch black.

Marik jumped back with surprise. That hadn't ever happened before…

"What's wrong with him?" Malik asked, coming into the room. He set Ryou down upon the Master's bed and got down on the floor next to Marik.

"Look. It's not supposed to glow like that…"

Suddenly Bakura twitched, and his eyes fluttered open. He slowly lifted his head. "Why am I…?"

"Your Mark was glowing all weird. We came in here and you were screaming… You broke your pen, too, by the way."

"…Whatever. The pen doesn't matter…" Bakura heaved himself to his feet, rubbing his neck. "I'll be fine. It's nothing."

"…So you're better now? After what happened in the medical room?"

"Humph. You know that kid annoys me." Bakura snorted, crossing his arms across his chest. Marik was sure he could pass it off as pouting. "Now, if you don't mind, can I be alone?"

Marik sighed. He headed towards the door and waited for Malik, who picked Ryou back up and they headed out of the room.

Bakura watched out of the corner of his eyes as Malik carried Ryou towards the door in his arms. He hadn't noticed how much Ryou resembled a doll…

_Not that it matters. _Bakura thought to himself as he got up, crumpling the now ruined letter in his right hand and threw it into the wastebasket. He then resorted to cleaning up the spilled ink. After that he went to get a new pen.

The tattoo on his neck started burning again.

With a snarl, he curled his fingers about the x, gritting his teeth in pain. Cursing lowly, he tossed the new pen onto his desk and crossed the room, sitting down upon his bed.

"_I missed you, Bakura-san."_

Bakura's eyes widened at the sudden voice that projected itself into his brain. He felt his breath suddenly quickening. With trembling fingertips, he placed them to his lips. He could feel fangs already pushing past, and then he felt that irritation in his eyes again…

"_I decided to wait for those children to leave us alone before fully showing my face again… Oh, Bakura-san, you must've been so lonely all these years…"_

"Go away… I thought you were long gone…" Bakura whispered, and stood up. He kept one hand curled about his still glowing Mark.

"_Ah, Bakura-san… You want me gone? I just returned… There are so many things we have to catch up on…"_

Bakura gasped as an intense pain shot through the area about his tattoo. Suddenly, a figure took shape in front of him, and he instantly took a step back.

"_I know somewhere deep inside, you missed me… You've changed so much, Bakura-san… You're so much taller… Back then when you were nothing but Bakura-kun… You've grown…and have earned more respect from me."_

The figure reached one hand out. Bakura took one step back instantly. The figure seemed to be nothing but a shadow… But he refused to let it touch him…

"_What's the matter, Bakura-san? Are you afraid? You've always been scared of me…" _The figure advanced and grabbed Bakura, spinning him slightly so that the figure stood behind the Master. It laced its arms about the Master's neck. _"Always…"_

Bakura felt beads of cold sweat roll down his neck. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest…

"_Oh, the memories… When you first saw me… you were terrified… Back before I called you Bakura-kun… Further back… When you were smaller…" _It traced one long, thin finger over Bakura's shoulder blade. _"When I called you Bakura-chan… Do you remember?"_

The pain in his neck grew stronger. Bakura visibly cringed.

"_So you do remember… Well, I'm not as sad anymore… At least you remember our past… At least…until you tried to force me away…" _Its hands fell on Bakura's shoulders. He could feel sharp nails digging into his skin… _"You thought you could just abandon me like some overused toy… But I loved you so much, Bakura… I loved you to pieces… Your body was always the best home for me… And then you threw me into darkness… And now look what's happened to me… I'm nothing but darkness as well now… But… I can make sacrifices… I came back, just for you… Because I care about you so much…"_

"You only want my body for yourself again… That's the only reason you care about me…" Bakura whispered.

"_Oh, come now… Why are you always angry at me, Bakura-san? If only you could see how much I love you…"_

Bakura gasped as the pain came rushing back, even worse. The pain was mostly in his neck, but then his whole body began to throb… And then he realized it. The shadow was _absorbing_ him.

"_I'll prove how much I care, Bakura-san… We'll share bodies like so many years ago… And I'll talk to you and never let anymore harm come your way… You and I will be best friends again… Even closer than before…"_

Bakura's eyes widened. The pain flooded his neck, and the glow brightened. The memories came pouring back. _"No! _Let _go_!_"_

"_No, Bakura-san… I promised you… We will remain together _forever_…"_

Bakura fought weakly, but the room was shrinking… The shadow was rapidly taking him in, ripping his body from the outside world… Absorbing it…

He screamed as loud as he possibly could.

"_Oh, Bakura-san… There's no need to scream… You don't need to fear me again… I only want the best for you… And this world is no place for you… Besides… You should know that I always dislike screaming…"_

"Get _off!_" Bakura bellowed, fighting the best he could. He had to get free…

-

"Did you hear that?" Marik stopped then.

"Hear what?" Malik asked, tilting his head to one side slightly. With Ryou mumbling constantly, he was apparently trying to understand what the albino was saying, rather than focusing on the outside world.

"Bakura screamed… He sounded hurt…"

"But he said he'd be fine… Or did he just say that to sound tough?" Malik pondered aloud, biting his lip.

Their thoughts were disturbed by another scream, this one louder than the first. Marik turned back. "Come on. I knew there wasn't something right going on…"

Malik ran to keep up. He noticed Ryou stirring more, whimpering uneasily as they grew closer to Bakura's room. _There's something strange going on here…_

_-_

"_Bakura-san… Stop fighting me… I love you… Why won't you just come with me? Why must you fight against me? I don't want to fight you…"_

"Then let me go! Get _away!_" Bakura swung, and the shadow suddenly grabbed his fist with a hand that he didn't even notice was there.

"_Bakura-san… Stop fighting… Just come along… Come with me… Why don't you understand that I'm doing this for _you _Bakura-san?"_

"No!" Bakura kept trying to fight it off, but it was useless. The room was slipping… Fading away from his views… The darkness was taking over his vision… Just like all those years ago…

Neither noticed the two blondes returning.

-

"What…is _that_?" Malik asked, freezing instantly.

Marik's lavender eyes snapped open to a size Malik didn't think was possible at the sight of Bakura literally becoming absorbed by the shadow. He swore, running instantly inside the room. "_Bakura_!"

Malik put Ryou on the floor and instantly ran in after him. Without thinking, they were both on Bakura's arms, trying to drag him out.

"_Let go of Bakura-san… I love him more than _anything_… He's all of me… I love him to _death_… I've missed so much all these years… And now, he will remain _mine_…"_

Suddenly, a jolt of something like electricity flowed upon them. Malik leapt back, yelping in slight pain. Marik alone was powerless.

Bakura was dragged out of his grasp and vanished into the darkness of the shadow.

"Bakura! Ra, _no!"_ Marik lashed out with one fist, but the shadow was much faster. It grabbed his arm and lifted him off the floor by the limb, before throwing him like a paper ball across the room. Marik's body crashed into the wall before hitting the floor, and Malik ran instantly to the Master.

"Are you okay?" Malik asked, a little frantic, mostly due to the slight dent that was barely visible in the wall.

"I… I think, yeah." Marik straightened and looked up to see the shadow's shape changing. It wasn't long before it took on Bakura's body structure, and they were left looking at a near copy of the albino Master.

The differences were visible… Bakura's eyes had gone a blood red, without any white at all, and fangs protruded from his mouth.

"Mm. Ah, Bakura-san… I missed having your body around… It was always so _cozy… _Unlike the darkness you banished me to…"

Malik glanced at Marik. "What can we do? We have to get Bakura out of there… But how?" he whispered.

"Oh, don't worry… You'll see Bakura-san again later… Only he'll be much different than before…" 'Bakura' ran towards the window, took mere seconds to smash it open, leapt out.

Malik ran to the window to see, but there was nothing.

He was gone.

-

Darkness… He could see nothing but black…

Bakura slowly sat up, rubbing at his neck. But there was no pain in his neck anymore… He felt nothing.

Suddenly light flooded the room, and he had to temporarily cover his eyes with his forearm. Then he felt his heart drop. The figure again…

"What do you want?" Bakura snarled.

"_You're so mean to me, Bakura-san… After all I've done for you… You still haven't come to love me like I love you…"_

"I'll _never _love you, you trash."

"_You'll come to eventually, Bakura-san… Especially since we'll be friends for years again… Do you remember how old you were when I found you?"_

Bakura cringed visibly. The shadow sat down next to him. "I was…six."

"_You were indeed, Bakura-san. A lonely, little boy… And then you grew older in front of me… You grew before my eyes… And when you were thirteen…"_

"…You started calling me Bakura-kun…"

"_I'm just happy to see that you remember… Bakura-san… But then when you were sixteen… They ripped me away from you… Remember? They sealed me away, yet still in your body, but away from your consciousness to try to forbid me… And resulting in that tattoo about your neck…_

"_They broke my heart to pieces… Because you were no longer around… I couldn't love you as much as I used to because I never saw your face… But I realized that I would get you back… And I would love you even more than I already did… But of course, I was angry with them for ripping me away from you… You must've been so alone… So miserable without me…"_

Bakura stiffened as the shadow draped its long, thin arms around his shoulders. He didn't like it…

"_But now I'm back… And I'll never leave you alone again, Bakura-san… I'll never leave your side and I'll always love you, Bakura-san. _Always. _Even when no one else does, I will…"_

Bakura's throat felt tight. He felt like he was going to scream… He wanted to push the shadow away from him, but he knew he couldn't…

"_Now tell me… What did you do those many long years when I was no longer at your side? While I was still inside of you, just waiting in misery to get out to see you again, Bakura-san? How did you live your life without me there?"_

Bakura closed his eyes and took a shaky breath. He felt like he couldn't breathe anymore… The memories of the pain before ruling the country were rushing back full force… All because of what this _thing_ did to him…

"_I can tell you wish to cry, Bakura-san. But you do not understand how to… You apparently have no idea… Then you weren't nearly as miserable as I was in that place… Good. Because it would make me upset to see you in so much pain… Because I love you to _death_, Bakura-san…"_

The figure wrapped its arms tighter around him, embracing him. Bakura didn't move. He merely closed his eyes and tried to block out the memories of pain in silence.

* * *

Chapter 17: End.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: I honestly have no idea how far this fic is going to go. I don't know how much longer it's going to be, and honestly, I don't know all the details of the ending. But of course, we just have to take it one step at a time, right? :)

* * *

The area seemed so familiar now… He hadn't remembered much about it until just now… Bakura closed his eyes and took a breath uneasily. But he couldn't stop the flow of memories.

The door opened then, and light returned. The once chilling cold dulled to a regular room temperature the instant light hit the floor. Bakura didn't move.

The shadow walked across the room and sat down next to Bakura silently. Bakura forced his eyes open and dared to raise his head. The figure was staring at him, head slightly tilted to the left. The pair of red eyes blinked once. _"Bakura-san… Aren't you hungry?"_

"…No." Bakura's response was flat. He said nothing more, and didn't look directly into its eyes.

"_Oh, Bakura-san… I know you're still feeling the remainder of pain from being taken away from that place… But you weren't getting your respect… You were miserable, were you not? I only want to do what's best for you…"_

Bakura was stiff as it pulled its fingers through his hair, ever so gently… He nearly cringed at the touch, but held still.

"_I don't see why you love me… I love you to the depths of my heart, but I can't sense any emotion in return… What have I done that is holding back your love, Bakura-san? I am your only family, after all…"_

Bakura bristled then. "You _killed_ my family… How do you expect me to love you after all the agony you've caused me?"

"…_Agony? Bakura-san, I only helped you out… Those people didn't nearly love you as much as I did… I love you more than anyone in the world… And that will never change…" _It wrapped its arms around Bakura again, embracing him from behind. _"And I love you… You should know that… I gave everything for you, and you know I'd never let them hurt you…" _It paused, stroking Bakura's hair absentmindedly. _"Bakura-san… I know you were in pain… After I left… I could watch through your eyes at times…"_

Bakura blinked, and lowered his eyes to the pearl white flooring.

"_You were lonely… Without me there, you were alone… They hurt us both, didn't they?" _Still running its fingers through Bakura's snowy white hair, its other hand looped about Bakura's neck. _"They broke my heart by ripping me away from you… And they hurt you when I was ripped away… If they weren't dead already, I'd kill them… No one is allowed to hurt you, Bakura-san… I love you too much to let you become hurt…"_

Bakura's throat started tightening again. "…I…"

"_Even though you were sixteen, you were fragile, Bakura-san… I was your only friend… Wasn't I? I loved you so much… And they sealed me away… Yet I watched through your own eyes, and saw what you could see… They hurt you, Bakura-san… Didn't they? They caused you pain… It made me angry… But you never cried, Bakura-san… You were strong… You never…broke down…"_

Bakura lowered his head slightly. "…I… I never felt like I belonged there… Royalty never ran through us, remember?"

"_I know, Bakura-san… It made me upset too, seeing you so lost… But you had shelter and food. A home. Even if it wasn't the best for you… But I could tell it was a little better than that village you were from… Even if you weren't exactly happy… But all those years I was alone inside of you, I never stopped loving you with all my heart… And I never will stop loving you, Bakura-san…"_

Bakura turned slightly, seeing the shadow smiling, exposing pearl white fangs, sharper than he'd ever seen, red eyes staring at him. _"I'm just glad we're reunited, Bakura-san… After all, I missed you deeply… Now you can feel my love again…"_

It pulled him closer. Bakura felt his heart pounding as the shadow pulled him so close that his head rested against its chest. While embracing him, he felt it comb its fingers through his hair again. Bakura tensed visibly.

"_You're not accustomed to anyone loving you… Are you, Bakura-san? They never loved you like I did…"_

Bakura closed his eyes, and finally relaxed in its grip. After all the years of successfully locking the pain away and hiding it so well… It was coming back to hurt him… And now it hurt more than it used to…

* * *

"He's gone… I don't even know how, but he just vanished into thin air…"

"I don't know if we can exactly call it a 'he', Malik. We don't even know if that thing has a gender… We really don't even know what it _is_…"

They were quiet, pondering it. However, at the sound of a scream, they both jumped. Malik was the first to realize it was Ryou.

He went into the hall and got down on his knees beside the teen, and gently shook his shoulder. He froze at the sight of tears escaping from Ryou's closed eyes…

_It was so dark… He felt like he was drowning…_

_And then he could see the three white figures… They stood so far away, staring at him… He ran towards them as fast as he could, but they only seemed to be getting farther away…_

"_Mum! Dad!" He tried to go faster, but he couldn't… "Mum! Amane!"_

_They stared momentarily and began to fade away…_

"_Mum, _no_! Don't leave!" He reached towards them, and he realized that his hand was smaller, thinner… And he realized that he was little again…_

_They vanished from his sights. He stopped dead in his tracks, and sniffed. A sudden blow to his body sent him spiraling to the floor in a heap, and he glanced up with tear-filled eyes._

_Bakura loomed over him, clutching that knife again… "Stand up. I'm sick of this… I'm finally going to get you out of the way, you trash…"_

His eyes flashed open as Bakura's knife came inches from his chest in his nightmare. He awoke then, and sat straight up, panting and found that he was in a cold sweat.

He could see Malik and Marik both. Malik was beside him, a hand on his shoulder, lavender eyes concerned. "Are… Are you okay?"

"Y-Yes… I-I'm fine… J-Just a bad dream…" Ryou tried to get up, but fell back onto his rear with a grunt. He was still too weak…

He glanced around, and noticing he was in front of Bakura's bedroom, he froze. Malik sensed his uneasiness and gave a wavering smile. "I-It's okay. He's not exactly around right now…"

"What do you mean?"

Malik glanced at Marik, and sighed, and began to retell the story.

* * *

After a long time, Bakura finally fell asleep. His nerves had calmed slightly, and he was becoming accustomed to the place… After all, it wasn't his first time being there…

Bakura was curled up on the white floor with a thin blanket draped over him. The shadow sat beside him, staring down at him with unblinking red eyes. Gently, it pulled its fingers through the albino's hair again; a habit that it had developed since it first met Bakura.

It brushed the snowy mane from Bakura's neck, revealing his Mark. It stared at the tattoo for a long time, and then sighed. _"You were always a lonely little boy, Bakura-san… Then when they took me away… You tried to hide it, but I could tell you were in pain…" _It stroked Bakura's hair again. _"But you hid the pain well from the others for many, many years… But keeping it deep inside ruined you… Over time… I could see your heart changing, Bakura-san… Your heart seemed to be frozen… You didn't seem to know anything about emotion anymore, Bakura-san… About how to love… And over time, you pushed my memories into the furthest corners of your mind, where they collected nothing but dust… But I can see your scars reopening… You haven't forgotten… Bakura-san…"_

Its eyes fell once Bakura again, and started pulling its fingers through his hair again, without thinking much about it… It peered silently through Bakura's eyes…

"_I… I don't understand…"_

"_Of course you don't…" It responded to Bakura softly, stroking his hair. Bakura stared up at it with huge, fearful eyes, his body stiff with fear._

"_W… What do you want from me?" Bakura whispered._

"_Nothing much, little one… But I've been watching… I know how lonely you are… I can tell you don't wish to be what they want you to… They only want to change you… They're only hurting you…"_

_Bakura stood in the cobblestone street, staring up at the shadow, his heart pounding. He didn't know what to think…_

"_I'm the best friend you could ever have… I'll love you like no one ever has…" It stopped stroking the child's hair and looked him in the eye, its red ones staring into his own, and fangs appeared upon its face as it smiled an enormous grin. "I already love you. However, there's only one thing I must ask of you, little one: what is your name?"_

_He hesitated. "…B… Bakura."_

"_Bakura-chan… Mm." The shadow lowered itself to meet Bakura's gaze evenly. "Do you accept my offer? My friendship? My love?"_

_Bakura was tense, and didn't answer the figure._

"_Come now, Bakura-chan… I'll never let anyone hurt you again… We'll be friends forever and I'll love you more than anyone ever will…" It extended a hand. "Bakura-chan…"_

_Bakura swallowed hard. "…Will… Will you promise me you'll never betray me? You'll really stay around and be my friend and you won't just abandon me like everyone else has?"_

"_Of course, Bakura-chan… I know how alone you really are… And I promise you… I'll be the best friend you've ever seen… The closest friend with the most love… From the bottom of my heart, I'll love you forever, Bakura-chan…"_

The shadow blinked once, staring down at him. Bakura's uneasiness visibly grew. The shadow trailed one fingertip over Bakura's neck, making Bakura gasp. His eyes flashed open and he jolted into an upright position in an instant.

"_Bakura-san… You were dreaming about me… It's been a very long time since that has happened… Am I correct?"_

Bakura glared up at the shadow. "You lied to me… All of that was just a trap… I never should've accepted your so-called 'offer'… You only wanted my body… And you took advantage of me, seeing of how defenseless I was…"

_Oh, Bakura-san… You have it all wrong… I've always loved you, even before your body became my home… I've always cared for you with all my heart…" _It reached out, taking Bakura's chin in one shadowed hand. _"Yet your emotions didn't equal my own… I've always loved you more than anyone…" _It tried pulling Bakura closer.

Bakura shoved it away. "Get off of me. I don't want you touching me, you trash… You ruined my life…"

"_Did I, Bakura-san? I disagree… You became a leader because of me… A Master… A ruler of countries… And I believe that you had a ton that bowed down before you… And I've seen a few closer ones… Marik-san? And Malik-kun? And even that boy who has been causing you so much conflict… Ryou-kun?" _The shadow came closer to Bakura then, lacing its arms around him again. _"I'm going to get them out of your way, Bakura-san… Then there will be nothing but me… And you'll be able to feel my love completely… Those people won't be able to cause you harm ever again…"_

Bakura tried to shrug the shadow off, but couldn't. Its arms were tighter than usual, and he couldn't pull away…

"_I'll make sure you love me back, Bakura-san… After all these years of spilling my heart to you… I've always loved you so much, and now we'll be together forever… You'll learn to love me just as I loved you…"_

It pulled him even closer. Bakura grimaced as the pair of arms tightened around him…

"_Bakura-san… I think it's best you go back to bed… After all, you need sleep…" _It released him, and Bakura instantly bolted away. _"I'll make you breakfast in the morning, all right? I know you're going to be hungry, Bakura-san…"_

It ran its fingers through his hair for a few seconds, Bakura stiffening. Then it moved away and headed for the door. Darkness fell again, and Bakura blinked a few times, trying to readjust to the light changes.

"_Good night, Bakura-san. I love you."_

Bakura waited until he knew it left before laying back down. But he couldn't go back to sleep… "I have to get out of here…"

* * *

A/N: Chapter 18: End.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: YES. My school year is almost finished. FINALLY. And the summer means more free time for me, which means more fic time. HUZZAH.

* * *

The shadow held Bakura in its arms again, watching him without a sound. Bakura was apparently too deep in his slumber to feel it stroking his hair again…

"_I don't see why you treat me this way, Bakura-san… You already know I love you more than anyone else in the entire world…"_

It laid him down silently, and Bakura rolled over, breathing deeply.

"_Well, Bakura-san… Since I'm waiting… I guess I'll go meet those 'friends' that you have…" _One long, shadowed finger brushed Bakura's cheek, sharp fingernails strangely not even pricking the skin. _"I love you."_

It stood, leaving Bakura on the floor. It made no sound at all, seeming to glide across the tiled flooring. After a few minutes, it reached into the dark and a small clicking noise was heard as it grabbed a doorknob, and pulled the door open. The door seemed to open right up in the darkness, hard to be seen in the first place; the shadow went through the doorway, which spilled into a hallway that was so tiny the shadow could barely fit inside, both shoulders brushing each wall. It pulled the door closed.

It went a few feet, and the darkness was ending as light began spilling into the cramped hallway. The shadow blinked once, traveling through the lighted area, before reaching a window at a dead end. It grasped the handle and threw the window open.

White light spilled into the hallway.

As the light took over, it felt nothing. There was nothing to be heard or seen… Until it felt control dominating its body, and then it awoke, as if from a deep slumber.

The spirit opened its eyes.

The sky was a vivid blue, and there weren't any clouds visible. Sunlight was pouring over the grass nearby, not capable of striking the patch of grass that was shaded by trees.

It sat up then, rubbing at its eyes. It was just so _different. _So bright and warm… It still had to get used to sunlight, though. After spending so many years in darkness, the light burned a little at the spirit's skin. _But then again, this is Bakura-san's body, not mine… _But even then… It felt so _real_…

As if it was actually living again…

Its vision was the only difference. It no longer saw color, but only black and white, and the areas where colors were supposed to be was a crimson red.

But that was good enough. It had Bakura's body back, after all…

The spirit smiled, albeit sadly. "Oh the memories."

It stood, staying in the shade. It reached out with one hand, and hissed slightly as the sun burned slightly at the skin, and it jerked its hand back in. The spirit grumbled, rubbing its hand. It then reached over its shoulder, feeling around its back. It grumbled a little more when it wasn't there… "Mm. Oh well. They'll come back soon enough…" It jumped, grabbing the branches and hoisted itself into the tree. "I guess I'll go see those people Bakura-san has been thinking about so much…"

* * *

Ryou stared at the two blondes with wide eyes. "You… You're just messing with me. There's no way-"

"Seriously, Ryou. I wouldn't jerk you around on something like this. Master Marik thinks it's a demon that's been hiding inside of his body all this time. After all, red eyes is a common demon quality… But there's so many things that don't make sense…"

Nobody noticed the spirit hanging around the window, listening silently.

"But… But how?" Ryou shakily got up, ever so slowly. His knees were trembling and he could barely stand… He felt so cold… "It…"

"Ryou, you need to sit. You're still not in that well of a condition." Malik placed one hand on Ryou's shoulder, and directed him into the bedroom, making Ryou sit upon the large bed. "Just calm down. Why are you the one who's getting so worked up anyway?" Malik asked, sitting beside him.

Ryou blinked heavily. His head hurt, and the room was getting quite blurry at this point. He was so drained… Before he knew what was going on, Malik had one tanned hand against his forehead. Ryou nearly whimpered at the touch because his hand felt so hot…

"You have a fever, Ryou. A pretty bad one at that…" Malik got up. "Lie down. Come on, we can't let you get any worse."

Ryou didn't move. He was staring at the window.

"Ryou. Ryou, look at me. Come on… You need to-" Malik stopped dead in his tracks. He followed Ryou's gaze to the window, and he froze. It was back again…

Marik, who had been reading over papers and books he had discovered in the room for any possible diaries for clues, was the first one to leap in the direction of the window.

The spirit smiled, revealing a set of pearl white fangs as Marik ripped the window open. It just sat there, smiling, fangs curving from its lips.

Marik stopped. The previous shadow made no movement to run. It just sat there in the windowsill, staring at him with blood red eyes. But with Bakura's body under control, Marik felt hesitation inside his veins.

The spirit spoke then. "Marik-san, I presume."

"…How do you know me?" Marik asked, eyes narrowing. He advanced forward, getting a mere foot away from the spirit.

"Oh, Bakura-san has had so many times with you. It's hard _not _to know you." The spirit reached out, put a hand on Marik's shoulder, and shoved him away. Marik stumbled slightly, and growled loudly as the spirit jumped into the room and landed lightly and silently upon the floor. It glanced at Malik. "Malik-kun. Mm. You and Marik-san are nearly twins if you think about it."

Marik leapt for it.

The spirit grinned an enormous smile. Malik swallowed fearfully at the huge, sharp fangs that extended from its lips. It easily sidestepped Marik, before grabbing his arm. It swung him around, pinning his arm back, and slammed him into the nearby wall. While he was pinned, the spirit held out one hand above Marik's Mark upon his arm. A black light flowed like electricity from its hand before striking the tattoo.

Malik's eyes grew wide. Marik screamed as the black light burned around and upon his tattoo, before visibly sinking in. He nearly wilted in the spirit's grasp.

The spirit pushed him roughly to the floor, where he fell with a small _thump._

Malik swallowed. "…Who are you? What do you want from us?"

The spirit smiled that sweet smile again, revealing those enormous fangs in the process. "Malik-kun. If you wish to remain safe, I suggest keeping quiet. All will become clear in due time."

"But… What are you exactly? Just tell me that. _Please." _He had to stall for time… He glanced at Ryou from the corner of his eye. Ryou was on the bed, panting slightly, and Malik could see the beads of sweat on his face. He seemed to be too tired to be paying any attention to the spirit…

The spirit smiled wider. "Very well, little Malik-kun." The previous shadow sat on the foot of the bed. "Call me what you wish. A demon, a spirit… Or both. That's what I'm mostly classified as anyway. No problem with that. I've been with Bakura-san since he was a little boy… Until they threw me in darkness for many years… And now I'm back…"

"Was… Was your demon form a male or a female?"

"My kind? Humph. Why does that matter anyway? There was no such thing as genders. However, I guess I'm considered a female to you humans, if that's what you mean. And that's all you need to know." The spirit stood up.

"Wait! What are you doing?!" Malik raised his voice as the spirit began to pick up Ryou. Ryou was fighting weakly, breathing hard and sweating slightly from the fever he was enduring. "Put him down!"

"I have some business with Ryou-kun to take care of, little Malik-kun. Do yourself a favor and shut up, or you'll be joining Marik-san, or possibly be meeting death itself."

Malik didn't know what to do. There were very few people in the castle due to the war wiping out the forces. With Marik unconscious and Bakura in a place he had no knowledge of, Malik felt powerless. There was nothing he could do…

Desperate, he ran after them, about to try to stop the spirit. But before his hand even came close, the spirit turned slightly, glaring with blood red eyes. It held Ryou in one arm, and punched him in the chest.

Malik's eyes widened as he felt his heart skip a beat from the blow. He dropped to his knees on the floor, coughing heavily. He could taste a mixture in his mouth that seemed like blood and bile… By the time he calmed down, the spirit was gone.

* * *

The spirit carried Ryou gently in its arms. Ryou looked frightened, to say the least. Feverish, he couldn't fight back much, but he occasionally kicked and squirmed a little. But he mostly just lay there in its arms, too weak and drained to do anything against it…

"You look a lot like Bakura-san, little Ryou-kun…" The spirit whispered, carrying him, walking through the abandoned landscape. "I've seen how you act. You act very much like Bakura-san too, little one."

Ryou whimpered softly as the previous shadow stroked his hair.

"You act just as he did… Afraid of me, even though I only tried to be as gentle as I could…" The spirit stopped and sat down, but held Ryou still. It reminded the spirit so much of when Bakura was younger…

"You're feverish," the spirit commented as it rested a hand upon Ryou's forehead. Ryou's face was paled yet crimson across the upper part of his face, mostly upon the bridge of his nose.

Ryou nodded weakly. For some reason, his fear was fading. And somewhere deep down, he almost felt like he _knew _the spirit…

"Come now. It's time to take you with me, little Ryou-kun."

Ryou didn't move. He didn't even budge when the shadow pulled him so close he could barely breathe and his head leaned against its chest… And even when the spirit began to absorb his body, Ryou didn't fight…

He fell into complete darkness then.

* * *

Bakura awoke screaming.

He found his heart pounding, and it didn't help that the shadow was sitting so close to him he could feel its breath upon his neck. He curled one pale hand about his chest. It had been so many years since he'd had nightmares about the spirit… But now all he dreamed of was war, blood, fire, and death… The chain of haunting memories was nearly shoving him overboard into a pit of insanity…

"_You'd better calm down a little, Bakura-san… You wouldn't want to awaken our visitor, would you?"_

"Visitor?" Bakura asked, his heart rate calming slightly.

"_Yes. Would you like to see him? It won't be much longer before he dies anyway…" _The shadow stood up and offered Bakura its hand. Bakura ignored the gesture and began walking through the shadows slowly. But soon the shadow went past him and led the way, obviously hurt by Bakura's decline. It led him to a spot that wasn't more than a yard away from the door that led to the tiny, cramped hallway. Bakura stopped.

Ryou was slumped on the ground, near handcuffs about his wrist in the form of shadows, trapping the albino by holding him to the wall. His white hair hid his face entirely, his head bowed forward. His legs were sprawled before him.

"But why did you bring him here? What purpose does he serve? He's meaningless." Bakura, for once, was curious of the shadow's motives.

"_I want him gone, Bakura-san. He's been hurting you. He's been abusing you in all the wrong ways… You do not deserve to be bothered and talked to in such ways… And because I love you so much, I decided to throw this boy away… You'll never see him again once he dies, Bakura-san. He will never bother you again…"_

Ryou gave a tiny whimper and moved uneasily. Bakura noticed the cuffs tightening slightly with each movement, and Ryou whimpered again, more audibly.

The shadow reached out and Bakura watched as it stroked Ryou's hair just as it did to him… _"He reminds me quite much of you, Bakura-san… His behavior is nearly identical to yours, except for the temper…" _Bakura snorted at the comment. _"But I've been watching… He acts like you did at that age… And I'm sure you've both gone through similar experiences…"_

"What are you talking about? Ryou hasn't been sharing his body with another soul. He-"

"_How do you know that for a fact, Bakura-san? How much do you actually know about him? Your family is gone as well… Your appearances are similar… From the best of my memory, I think you were abused at that age as well…"_

Bakura's blood chilled at the memory. His abuser was far more dangerous than he was… Taller, sturdier, stronger… A _monster._

The shadow turned to look at its host, only to find Bakura's eyes completely clouded. It pulled Bakura closer, hugging him, and stroking his hair at the same time. _"It won't be long now, Bakura-san… I'll be back to normal soon, and it'll be even faster with Ryou-kun here…" _It felt Bakura beginning to shake violently then. _"I know it hurts, Bakura-san… That's why I threw that man away to darkness of death… He didn't deserve to hurt you… I love you too much to let them hurt you…"_

Bakura blinked, and the near fog in his eyes cleared slightly. But he clamped his eyes shut as the memories kept going. He nearly clung to the shadow then, and he was positive he heard a pathetic sound escape his throat, sounding like that of a wounded dog. He wouldn't let the shadow go then…

The shadow hugged him, rocking him slightly and stroking his hair. It glanced at Ryou then, seeing the cuffs glowing slightly, and Ryou whimpered quite loudly in the process… The shadow smiled, revealing large fangs. _"I'll be back to normal quite soon, Bakura-san… Now go ahead… I know it hurts, but you have to remember… Do it for me, okay… I'm here for you because I love you…"_

Something stung his eyes. Bakura instantly held it back. But he clung to the shadow like a lifeline, and didn't open his eyes; as if that if he did that monster would be standing in front of him again...

* * *

Chapter 19: End.


	20. Chapter 20

"_I don't know what's been going on lately…" Bakura whispered the words, sprawled on his stomach upon his bed. "He says I'm stupid and worthless…"_

_Bakura sat up slightly as the demon appeared, transparent to all other eyes. He could see the obvious anger that crossed the demon's face, and he laid a hand on the demon's arm. "Don't… It's okay. I just… I just feel kind of confused… I'm not upset or anything…"_

_The demon glanced at him intently then, and Bakura swallowed fearfully. "But… Just tell me something… Okay?" he asked the question timidly. "What… What does he mean when he says he wishes I would be more like Marik?"_

Bakura tensed in the shadow's arms. They had been standing there silently, and the shadow stopped stroking the albino's hair. "That's… That's not long before it started… I was…ten… I… I remember…" The shadow's arms tightened. "…Marik was still visiting us," Bakura whispered.

"_I don't understand you, little boy. Why are you like this? Why are you so slow? You never learn!"_

_Bakura didn't look at him. He couldn't. He glanced over his shoulder at Marik, who stood there, merely staring at them. "Marik…"_

"_Exactly. Why can't you be more like that boy? You're nearly his complete opposite! A complete mistake!"_

_Bakura gasped as the blow came from behind, knocking him off his feet and to the floor. He looked up to see Marik retreating slowly, and he could see the fear upon his features._

"_Get up. You should worry about yourself, not where he's going." Bakura didn't move. His shoulders hurt from the blow… "I said get up!"_

_Bakura screamed as he pulled him to his feet by a lock of his hair._

"_Look at you! You're absolutely pathetic!" He dropped him to the floor and kicked him. Bakura whimpered, trying to get away. But he grabbed Bakura by the arm and pulled him off the floor before dragging him away._

_Bakura could see Marik watching from around the corner._

"…That's the day he started hitting me…" Bakura hands tightened to fists. "It only became worse… Everything I did was a mistake… But I was so jumpy because of the way he threatened me… Marik was the same age as me, and even when he was around, it was as if he wasn't there… He couldn't help me… No one could…"

"_Now look at you! Breaking dishes now!" He seized Bakura by the hair, making the ten-year-old whimper. "You clumsy fool…"_

_Bakura desperately glanced across the room to where Marik was standing on the stool, trying to wash the dishes. He could see the pain in Marik's eyes. The most the blonde could do was stand and watch… It was impossible to interfere…_

"…That… That was when he started to cut me… He said at least now he had a use for all the broken glass that came from the results of my accidents…

"…I always told you not to worry about me… I said I didn't want you to destroy him… But deep down, I really did… I wanted it to stop, but I was afraid… I was afraid of what would happen when you killed him…

"But it just kept going on for years… Six long years… But Marik was long gone back to his region… He left a few months after it started… I was alone… My birthday gifts were mostly blood that came from my wounds… But… Turning sixteen was the worst…

"You screamed at me so much that day… Not in anger, but in fear… I think you were scared you were going to lose me… And you did lose me… I was… I was afraid too… I was afraid of losing you, afraid of losing my life… And you always called me Bakura-kun, but… That day… You called me Bakura-san…"

"_Bakura-san! Bakura-san, wake up!" The transparent demon shook Bakura's shoulder. The albino breathed hard, and the demon was panic-stricken then as blood began to flow over the tile._

"_Bakura-san!" It shook him again, harder. Fear seized its heart as a pool of blood took form about Bakura's head, staining the white locks in a river of red._

_The two were alone. Bakura's abuser had left minutes ago, merely leaving him on the floor. The demon gingerly picked Bakura up in its arms, heart wrenching in agony. Scraps of cloth were sloppily tied about the boy's arms, drenched in blood. His eyes opened just slightly, clouded with pain. "…Y…You…"_

_Bakura coughed hard, spitting up blood. His right hand curled weakly about his left arm, and the demon could tell it was broken. "…I don't…want to die… Help me… Pl…Please…"_

_He was shivering. Blood just kept falling, and the demon could see the color just draining out of Bakura's face. It brushed the hair from the boy's eyes. "…I'll get him for this, Bakura-san… I promise you… Now hold still… I have to stop the bleeding… This may hurt, okay?"_

_It adjusted his body so that the demon could embrace him. Bakura gasped in pain, bloodstains showing through the material of his shirt. But he didn't fight it. As the demon hugged him tight, he looked up through blurred vision to see a pair of wings sprout from its back, before enveloping them both. Slowly, the magic kicked in. The bleeding slowly stopped, and the demon's wings retracted._

_Bakura was unconscious in the demon's embrace._

_With the smallest, sad smile, the demon laid him down. "I can't heal your arm, though, Bakura-san… I'm sorry…" It stroked his hair for a moment. "I have to get rid of that man…"_

"…I can remember… I was in this exact room… You left me here alone and said you were going to get rid of him… I told you no, but… You did so anyway… And then they thought I was insane… But then… When they realized it was you who killed him… They ripped your soul out… It hurt so badly, and I was positive you were going to shatter… You clung to my body like a lifeline, but they pried you out…"

_The demon started screaming. Bakura's entire body stiffened, a sudden empty feeling as his other soul took a solid form in front of him. "No… No!"_

"_Bakura-san, stay back!"_

"_No! No, you can't leave me! Don't leave me alone!" Bakura got up, trying to run forward, but he was only knocked down, gasping in agony as his broken arm hit the ground roughly._

"_I can handle this."_

_Bakura watched with wide eyes. They tried so hard to trap it, to rip it away, but the demon fought back… Bakura watched as the bodies began to fall. But finally, there were too many. The demon that had shared his body for ten long years was being ripped away from him… "No!"_

_They held him to the floor; his broken arm was not one of their concerns. Bakura struggled against them, and kicked one of them in the face, which only made things worse._

_They were screaming spells at him, and it wasn't long before they nearly threw the demon forward. The rest spiraled out of control… He didn't know what was going on until his demon began screaming in pain. Actual pain… And it began to vanish… "No…"_

"_Bakura-san! _Bakura-san_!" The screaming made Bakura's blood run cold. "Bakura-san, I love you! I'll always love you! I'll… I'll be back… Don't forget me…"_

The spirit stared down at the albino Master as he finally snapped out of his memories. He was so tense…

"…I was so alone when they sealed you away… But I never really knew what happened at first… Until they told me what happened… Then…" His hands grew tighter and the spirit felt his body grow tenser, as if he became anymore tense he would snap in half like a twig in a storm.

They never noticed Ryou stirring nearby.

Slowly, he awoke. He had no idea where he was, or why… But he could remember that strange being dragging him away from the castle… And then he saw it… The demon hugging Bakura in the tightest embrace he'd ever seen…

But that wasn't what scared him. What scared him was the expression on Bakura's face… The albino Master looked like was about to cry…

"_Bakura-san… You've been bottling it all up for so long that your heart froze over. You've been so alone and emotionally inept that it's been killing you inside and you've yet to realize it…" _It stroked his hair once. _"Cry. Go ahead. He's not here to hurt you anymore… There's no one here to hurt you… There's no one here at all but me…"_

Bakura trembled violently. He tried to hold it back, but he couldn't… It was killing him… He had been hiding the pain so well, but now it was visible… He couldn't lock it back up… With a pathetic noise, he buried his face into the demon's chest and started sobbing.

The spirit smiled sadly, stroking his hair. Bakura's cries brought tears to its own eyes, and a single tear fell. _"You shouldn't be afraid anymore, Bakura-san…"_

Ryou just stared at the pair in disbelief.

* * *

Bakura had finally fallen into a troubled sleep.

The spirit laid him down, wiping away the tears with one long finger. Bakura tensed slightly, and the spirit gazed down at him sadly. _"Bakura-san…"_

The spirit stroked his hair for a moment, before pulling itself away from its other soul. It went over to Ryou then, who had been silent. _"My apologies for making you wait so long, little Ryou-kun."_

Ryou blinked hazily. He felt really dizzy… "Master Bakura… He was crying?"

The shadow sighed then. Ryou noticed it wasn't smiling like usual. It sat down in front of Ryou, crossing its legs. _"Bakura-san… I've always loved him… I've loved him more than anyone in the world… But after they ripped me away from him, he changed so much…"_

"What do you mean?"

"_Apparently he hasn't told you anything about his past, has you?" _Ryou shook his head. _"When Bakura-san was six, I managed to convince him to let me share a body with him… He was very distrusting and he was afraid of me… But over time he became accustomed to me… He was taken to the castle after his village being completely destroyed…_

"_The Master there… He was a complete monster… A human with the capabilities of magic and filled to the brim with nothing but hate and evil… He abused Bakura-san for six long, painful years… I was in just as much pain… He said he was okay, he said he didn't want me to interfere… But for his sixteenth birthday, that monster nearly killed him… He was drenched in blood… I can remember him lying there in agony, and this pool of blood began to form about his skull… His arm broken, scraps of his shirt barely hanging on to his arms to soak up some of the blood…_

"…_I was afraid I was going to lose him to death… I didn't want him to be ripped away from me… I loved him so very much… And…I managed to heal his major wounds and stop the bleeding… But they were already sealing me away…_

"_I fought so hard to stay with him… But we were both torn away… And I was cast into the shadows of Bakura-san's consciousness, too far away from his mind for communication…"_

"Wait… They sealed you away inside of his body? But why?"

"_They feared me. I killed many of them… Anyone that dared hurt Bakura-san was destroyed. But that's not my point… You were merely curious of his tears, am I correct?"_

Ryou nodded slowly.

"_Bakura-san has never had friends or anyone to look out for him or help him. He's always been alone… Marik-san came to visit once for a week, but he could not help Bakura-san in the struggle with his abuse. He could merely stand and watch… And then he left, so it was a lost cause… I was the only one. He had no one to talk to but me, no one to love but me, no one to understand but me… Never once in his life has he cried… Until now…"_

"I… I'm afraid I still don't understand. Why was he crying? Master Bakura is always so strong-"

"_Wrong. It's merely a façade. Bakura-san… When they tore me out of his mind, he was confused and alone. More than ever before… I watched through his eyes sometimes… His heart was freezing over. He was abandoning emotions… He had lost the ability and knowledge of them… He had no idea how to love, how to care, how to laugh, how to communicate… He became emotionally inept as that heart of his froze… He hid away the pain. He locked away the memories, along with ones of me… I didn't want to remember. It hurt him much too badly… But now that I'm back… The mask is coming right off… He cannot hide anymore. The memories and pain is coming back, and it's returning so hard that he can't handle it…"_

Ryou didn't respond. _Then all this time… How tough he's been… How cold… It's all just been for show? Just a wall he's been hiding behind? Then he's been hiding that pain so well for all these years that no one has been able to see into it… No one probably suspects anything is wrong with him…_

It struck him then. He understood everything. "Then he was abusing me because I reminded of him of himself when he was my age…"

"_Exactly. You have a pretty good head on your shoulders, Ryou-kun. You know…" _The shadow placed a hand on Ryou's head and stroked his hair. _"You remind me so much of Bakura-san when he was your age… Well, at least on the inside… The way he acted around me is pretty similar to the way you act… It's a pity though how this is all going to end… I'm sorry, Ryou-kun…"_

"Wait, what? Why are you sorry? What's going on?" Panic pricked his brain then. He noticed he had a bit more strength, apparently from the fever going down a little from when he was taken from the castle.

"_You're the sacrifice, Ryou-kun… I'm sorry…" _The shadow put its hand down. _"You're the only one that meets the qualifications…"_

"Sacrifice? Qualifications? I don't understand… What are you going to do with me?"

"_Use you… I'm sure you've noticed your handcuffs…" _The shadow glanced at them, which held Ryou to the wall. _"I doubt you've noticed, but it's been draining you since you've arrived. It's been going pretty slowly, so I'm sure it hasn't caused you much pain or exhaustion yet… But… Once your energy is completely taken, I'll be taking it for myself to return to my true form. You, however, Ryou-kun… You'll be nothing more than a memory in the world. I'm sorry it's going to turn out this way for you, Ryou-kun." _The shadow stood up then, far taller than Ryou. _"Get some sleep. In the morning I'll probably make you two breakfast, and then we need to talk, all right? We can talk about everything that's going to happen… Good night."_

Ryou watched the shadow vanish, and only then did the true panic kick in.

* * *

Chapter 20: End.


	21. Chapter 21

Ryou awoke drowsily a lot during the night. It was difficult sleeping in a foreign place that was shrouded with darkness. The handcuffs only added to the uneasiness. He awoke once in the night to the sound of screaming. The source turned out to be Bakura, and the shadow came back in for a little while. Ryou watched in silence as the shadow stroked the man's hair, gently calming him silently until Bakura's mind settled down slightly. Then the shadow was gone again.

Then, what seemed like mere minutes later to Ryou, the shadow was back and was gently shaking Bakura into wakefulness. Ryou mumbled slightly to himself, still tired.

"_Bakura-san, come on. I made you breakfast."_

Bakura groaned once and tried to pull away, but the shadow merely wrapped its arms around him. Bakura pushed at it, "Okay, fine. Leave me alone. I'm up, I'm up…" The albino muttered to himself as he sat up.

"_You never were a morning person, Bakura-san."_

"Humph. Early mornings, bright light, cold floors… What is there to love? Nothing." Bakura got to his feet, glancing at Ryou before turning away.

Ryou growled a little, more to himself than anyone else. Suddenly the shadow was beside him, unfastening the handcuffs. Ryou rubbed gratefully at his sore wrists, but at least they weren't rope, otherwise his wrists would've been well bloody by now. However, the shadow fastened a small bracelet like item about his wrist. Ryou frowned, staring at it.

"_I trust you a little bit already, Ryou-kun. However, I can't risk you slipping away. It's a possibility and I'm not willing to take it. But of course I don't want you to be terrified of me like Bakura-san was, and of course, I want you to get to know this place a little. After all, you're both going to be here for quite a while." _The shadow smiled at the pair, revealing large fangs, its red eyes seeming to sparkle a little. _"Now come on, before the food gets cold."_

The shadow led them out into the tiny hallway. Bakura growled, kicking the wall. "Apparently you never upgraded… I remember when these halls seemed enormous. Now they're so _cramped."_

"_You were only a little child back then, Bakura-san. I remember trying to show you around and a few times you wandered off. It surprised me how you managed to find doors that aren't exactly visible…"_

"I've noticed that." Ryou said then, frowning inwardly slightly. "How come the doors are like that, though?"

"_For safety, for hiding… Many reasons. But it was mainly to keep Bakura-san safe at the time. He was a curious human in the inside, but he didn't show it much."_

The shadow reached towards the wall, and Ryou blinked with surprise as a handle of a door appeared in its hand. The shadow smiled a little as it pushed the door open gently and led the two albinos inside before pushing the door closed.

It looked like nothing more than a regular, household kitchen.

Ryou raised one snowy eyebrow. It was a lot brighter in the kitchen-like room, but not too bright. It was mostly like a glow, sort of like a firefly that lit up the space.

The shadow led the pair to the table. It sat in the middle, because the two refused to sit side-by-side. Ryou hesitated as he sat down. There seemed to be so much food in front of him, he felt nervous, unsure of himself… Bakura just sat there, staring at the shadow. Suddenly, it smiled at Ryou.

"_It's all right, Ryou-kun. It's safe, honest. I wouldn't try to poison you, after all, I need you here, remember? Just eat whatever you want to."_

Bakura didn't eat anything. With one elbow resting on the table and his chin in the palm of his hand, he merely watched Ryou eat. It was actually the first time he had _seen_ Ryou eat…

"_How is it? It's been a while since I've cooked. You know, since Bakura-san hasn't been here in so long…"_

It was actually quite appealing to Ryou. Or maybe it was because Bakura had been feeding him so very little in the past month or so… He smiled a little.

The shadow's smile widened. _"Good to hear it." _It glanced at Bakura. _"Why aren't you eating anything, Bakura-san?"_

"I'm not hungry." Bakura said simply, still holding his head in his hand. "Ra, you treat me like I'm your son or something."

Ryou swallowed and decided to wade into deeper water. "But I thought you would like someone treating you like that for once, Master."

Bakura glared at him with narrowed eyes, his voice flattening to deathly cold. "What did you just say?"

"I've heard. You used to hide it from me, but I know now. You were always by yourself and you lost your family and everything… You know, you'd think you would be happy that someone is actually trying to help you…"

Bakura growled. "Shows what you know. I've been on my own for years now. Why would I need to go back to being cared for like a baby?"

"_You can try to hide the pain from me all you want Bakura, but I can still see it. I know you better than anyone else in the entire world, and I love you just as much. I know you've been trying to push the memories of me away, because it hurt you so very much to think of me. It hurt you to think of how your only friend and your sanctuary was ripped away from you…"_

Bakura looked away, grip tightening. A near deafening silence took place then, and Ryou swallowed, setting down his fork. "Umm… If you don't mind me asking… Yesterday you told me I meet these 'qualifications'… You told me we could talk about it…"

"_Of course. I have no secrets to hide." _The shadow smiled, large, pearl white fangs glimmering in the light of the kitchen. _"Ryou-kun… You're the perfect one to be the sacrifice. You meet every type of standard I could think of… Look at yourself. You're such a kind, sweet boy, but you have quite a strong, rebellious side buried under the surface. You have quite a backbone, Ryou-kun. And you remind me quite much of Bakura-san when he was your age. Your hair, your eyes, your skin; even your attitude. From what I've seen, you were quite lonely too, but you found Malik-kun to be your near haven of safety… Am I correct?"_

Ryou bit his lip a little and nodded slowly. "Okay. So the qualifications are a set of standards you set up for the whole sacrifice thing? So what exactly…?"

"_The sacrifice? Oh, don't worry too much about that. It won't hurt…at least not too much. You're a strong kid, after all." _Its grin widened further. _"As I previously told you, your energy is what I'm after. Instead of keeping you chained to a wall, I put the bracelet on you. It drains your strength, just like the handcuffs, but it still enables your movement. At first it won't hurt, but after it drains for a while, you'll probably notice. But I'm sorry to say that when your strength is completely drained out, you'll probably become hollow upon the inside and fall unconscious for quite a while. But you won't wake up… Your body will be erased from the world and I'll be using your energy to return to my true form."_

Ryou froze, his eyes wide, and Bakura slowly dropped his hand and turned to look the shadow in the face. "No…"

"_Yes, Bakura-san. My wings will come back and so will all my power. I'll accompany you just like before… Maybe with me around again you can go ahead and win the war, Bakura-san…"_

Bakura grimaced visibly. The thoughts of the war had faded slightly from his mind, but now that he remembered… He shook his head.

Ryou spoke up. "Umm, where's your bathroom?"

"_There's one attached to this room in the back, Ryou-kun. The only reason there is one, actually, is because of Bakura-san being here…"_

Ryou pushed back his chair and got up, retreating into the bathroom, closing the door after him and flipping on the lights.

He yanked on the bracelet then, trying to get it off, but it only seemed to tighten upon his wrist. "Stupid thing… Why won't you come off?!"

Suddenly it glowed an eerie red. Ryou released it quickly as it glowed a little brighter, before suddenly a rush swept through his body. A rush of exhaustion…

Ryou quickly grabbed hold of the sink to keep himself steady. _Then this must be the whole draining thing…_

Ryou shuddered. _Not only am I going to become something like a shell, but my strength is going to be used to return a demon to its real form… _Ryou's grip tightened in fear. He really didn't like the sound of it…

* * *

Marik moaned. His head was throbbing and the light seemed to burn at his eyes. He rolled over, not bothering to brush his bangs out of his eyes.

Malik watched him silently. He had previously moved the blonde Master onto Bakura's bed after the demon had taken Ryou away. Malik would've gone after them, but without magic and being alone, he knew he would've been utterly powerless…

Malik watched the Master twitch slightly as a beam of sunlight fell over his tanned face. Groaning, he rolled onto his back again, and slowly opened his eyes.

Every place on his body ached, but his head was absolutely pounding in pain. Marik kept his eyes open, merely staring at the ceiling through blurry vision. Finally it focused and he heard a quiet voice, "Master Marik?"

He forced himself to roll over on his side so that he faced Malik.

Malik swallowed. The Master looked pure exhausted. "…Are you okay?"

"…I think so, yeah. Just tired, I guess…" He turned his head to stare out of the window. There was a period of deafening silence between the pair, and finally, Marik sighed lightly. "…It took Ryou, didn't it?"

Malik blinked, lavender eyes showing surprise. "Wait. How did you know?"

Marik tried to sit up. Malik helped him, and the blonde master leaned into the pillows, staring out of the window. "…I've known about this for a while… Well, a little bit, at least. I can remember a long time ago, when I came to visit this place. I'm pretty sure I was ten, and Bakura was too…" He shook his head. "Ra, the kid was beginning to be abused. And right in front of me. But there was nothing I could do…"

Malik sat down on the edge of the bed next to him. "But… Couldn't you have tried to comfort him somehow?"

"That was an impossible task, Malik. I tried once, after I saw the Master knock him off a ladder."

Malik bit his lip. "Was he okay?"

"At first I thought he was dead. He had gone halfway up it and when he landed, he hit his head pretty hard… He wasn't moving. I managed to abandon my work for a few minutes, and when I went over to him, his eyes were closed and he wasn't moving at all. I really did think he was dead… But suddenly he started trembling and I could see blood in his hair. But he didn't cry. I could tell he was in a lot of pain, for he curled up on the floor in a ball and just trembled, not even noticing I was there…"

Malik nibbled on his lip. "…Then what?"

"I tried to get his attention. I touched his arm, but he cringed and started talking to himself… I think I got scared, and when I started backing away, I saw it. I saw that demon take form beside him, but it seemed transparent, like a ghost… It picked him up and hugged him and whispered to him. And I saw its wings wrap around his body like a blanket while holding him against its chest…"

"But… It doesn't have wings anymore… At least I didn't see any…"

"I know. That's what bothering me." Marik frowned, still staring out of the window. "Perhaps that's why it took Ryou with it."

"You mean use Ryou to gain back its wings and power?"

"Exactly. That demon is nothing but trouble, I'm telling you… It must have really been after Ryou if it knocked me out first…"

"What exactly did it do to you, anyway?" Malik asked.

Marik sighed. "You know, kid, magic and Marks aren't always a good thing. They can be used against you. That's what that demon did to me. Apparently it has a bit of magic inside of its system… It somehow made my magic attack my own body. I don't know how, but Ra did it _hurt_…"

There was another long period of silence. Malik shifted uncomfortably on the bed, the silence seeming to deafen him. He always _hated _it. The sound of nothingness always made him uneasy. "…Master Marik?"

"Hmm?" He finally averted his gaze from the window to stare Malik in the face.

"…What else happened to Master Bakura while you were there? I mean, he's never told any of us even a bit of his past, other than he was poor and was taken in by the previous Master… I was hoping you could tell me a bit about him…"

Marik sighed. "All right. But I'm going to warn you now, none of it is going to be pretty, kid. After all, what I saw and what I heard were two different things. And what I witnessed wasn't exactly pretty…"

* * *

Chapter 21: End.


	22. Chapter 22

Marik sighed. "Well, like I said, I came to visit for about a week. It was such a long, horrible week, especially for Bakura… The kid was so jumpy that he constantly broke things like glasses and dishes… And the most I could do was watch as he got struck until he was knocked down…" Marik sighed heavily. "By the time I was leaving, his face was nearly completely purple and black from bruises… He wouldn't speak anymore. I never saw him smile or laugh at all…"

"Did he ever speak to you while you visited?"

Marik seemed thoughtful for a moment or two. "…Once. It was when I first arrived. Actually, he was the one to speak first, if I remember correctly…"

"_Um, excuse me?" Marik turned, blinking slightly in surprise at the boy who was standing behind him, and was his exact height. His hair was a snow-white color, and his skin was unbelievably pale. "Um, I think you dropped this…"_

_Marik glanced down to the boy's outstretched hand, which held a small picture. It was tattered at the edges, but it was in a clear, plastic case to protect it from further damage. "Yeah, I guess I did," Marik murmured before taking the picture back. He stared at it for a moment before tucking it away in the breast pocket of his shirt. "I guess it's a good thing you found it."_

_The boy smiled just slightly. "Yeah." The smile faded as his eyes grew a little wider. "Oh! You're that guy that's going to be visiting, right?"_

"_I guess you could say that. Just call me Marik, though, okay?" A grin spread over his lips. "And you are?"_

"_Um… Oh, I'm Bakura."_

_Marik chuckled. "You had to think about that for a moment. Did you forget it for a second there?"_

"_Well, um, yeah. It's just…" Bakura rubbed his arm. "It's just that no one bothers to ask. Most of the people here just call me 'kid', so I barely ever need to tell my name to people."_

"_Oh." It was all that he could say. Marik watched with shadowed violet eyes as Bakura bit his lip, staring down at his shoes. "I'm sorry."_

"_You didn't know. I shouldn't let it be getting to me." He bit his lip. "So, um…"_

_Marik could tell he was trying to change the subject. He decided to. "Yeah. So, Bakura, have you ever been to the North?"_

"_I don't think so. If I have, I guess I just don't remember…"_

_Marik grinned as a look of full curiosity flooded the boy's dark eyes. "Well, I guess I could tell you about it."_

Marik shook his head slightly. "He acted funny when he talked about the others in the castle, especially when I asked for his name. But when I started telling him stories of the other regions, his eyes filled with such a strong curiosity and attentiveness. It was as if no one had ever told him stories before, so I told him about the regions. He listened with wide eyes and he was dead silent. But then the old Master came into the Lobby and yelled at him, saying that because of him that now both of us were late for dinner."

"Did he ever talk to you after that?" Malik asked.

"No. He became so quiet… I could tell something was wrong though. When he spoke to me the first time, he seemed unsure of what to say. It was as if he had never spoken to other human beings before…"

"And the abuse?" Malik asked softly.

"That started up the next day." Marik sighed heavily. "It hurt us both. It hurt me to know all I could do was watch, and I could tell Bakura was slowly crumbling beneath the pressure. He never spoke, and I could see his eyes clouding with pain. However, the abuse that Bakura went through was worse than what he dealt to Ryou…"

"What?" Malik asked, blinking. "But he stabbed Ryou, he hit him, he-"

"And Bakura felt that and much more." Marik heaved a sigh. "Malik, I'm positive he has scars from that abuse. It's impossible that the Master couldn't have left marks to remind Bakura of the past… Scars both physically and mentally, at that. It's obvious that man shattered Bakura's mind. He broke his confidence, his self-esteem, his hope, his physical appearance, _everything. _And when I was leaving, I tried to speak to him…"

"_Bakura?" Marik asked, stepping slightly closer to the boy, before putting his hands on the boy's shoulders. Bakura jumped at the touch, his head snapping up._

_Marik's dark violet eyes narrowed as they met Bakura's brown, crimson-tinted ones, which were filled with fear and pain. Marik sighed, his grip softening slightly. "Bakura, calm down. I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to talk."_

_Bakura's shoulders sagged then, and he was about to lower his head, but Marik moved, putting one tan hand beneath the boy's chin, keeping his head up. His dark purple eyes stared hard at Bakura's face. Bakura instantly averted his gaze._

_Marik frowned. The boy's face was nearly purple from bruises, and they littered his neck and arms as well. There were also a few cuts showing from where Bakura's shirt didn't cover. "Bakura, why are you letting him hurt you like this?"_

_Bakura said nothing._

Marik pulled a tanned hand through his sandy blonde hair. "He wouldn't say a word. It was as if the boy was mute. But I could see it in his eyes. He wished to speak to me, but he was scared that he'd only get hurt. His eyes showed it all to me. He was screaming for help without making a sound, but no one noticed it.

"I felt so bad. I did nothing to try to help. When I was walking out of the doors, I saw Bakura stare after me. I could see his eyes filling with even more pain than before. I think that it hurt him even more to see me leaving because I was the closest he had to a friend."

Malik merely blinked, before lowering his gaze to his shoes. He couldn't think of anything to say as a response.

* * *

"So where exactly are we going?" Ryou asked softly as the demon began to lead the pair of albinos out of the kitchen and into the cramped hallway.

"I need to show both of you something," the spirit answered.

Ryou managed to glance over his shoulder at Bakura, who was following them wordlessly. Ryou noticed that the man's eyes were foggy as he looked around the cramped hallway, as if deep in thought…

Suddenly the demon stopped walking. Ryou nearly crashed into it from not paying attention. The teenager finally turned back towards the frontward direction, and blinked. He stood in front of a blank wall. "But there's nothing here."

"_The doors are invisible, remember, Ryou-kun?"_

Ryou watched silently as the demon reached out, its hand curling about a handle, which began to appear at the spirit's grasp. Ryou's eyes widened as the door became visible.

It was constructed completely of iron. Chains held the door shut, and there was a large steel lock dangling from the door.

The spirit glanced at Bakura, whose eyes were nearly glazed over with memory. _"Once Bakura-san left, this room became blocked. But now…"_ The demon sighed. _"I just want to show you both what has happened without Bakura-san around."_

Ryou watched as the demon pushed in one claw into the lock upon the door. There was a small period of movement before the lock snapped open and dropped to the floor. The chains slowly disappeared from view, and the three were left standing in front of the iron door. The demon grasped the handle in a hand, and began to push it open. The rusted hinges creaked, sending a shudder down Ryou's spine. As the door opened, a sliver of light spilled into the hallway. As the object opened entirely, the light covered the floor, and Ryou was left staring into the room.

Ryou took two hesitant steps and entered the room, standing in the doorway.

The walls were a faded gray, and the paint appeared to be chipping away, revealing white. The ceiling was a colorless white as well, and the floor was black tile, but it was cracked in so many places it was hard to find a pattern. Toys littered the tiled floor, but closer examination revealed that they were all broken. A cracked leather couch was near one wall, and before it was a dresser that was taped shut. Ryou noticed that there were about three windows, but all of them had tattered curtains covering the glass.

Suddenly Bakura pushed past Ryou and took a few staggering steps into the room, his eyes wide with shock. His entire body began to tremble before he dropped to his knees, his fists against the cracked tile. He wanted so badly to look away, but he couldn't…

"_Bakura-san was always too busy working to have any fun at all. So I made this room for the both of us. I brought him here one day, and he begged for me to play with him. It wasn't like I could turn the boy down… I could give him just about everything he wanted. But none of this could happen in the real world… Bakura-san was too young to know that all of this was just a figment of our minds. None of it was real. But he loved this room more than the real world…"_

The demon inched past Ryou and walked up to the trembling Bakura, who was staring with enormous eyes into the room. He shook uncontrollably, his breath quickening. "N-No…"

"_Yes, Bakura-san. I'm sorry… But without you here the room wilted into nothingness. It no longer had a purpose when you were no longer around…"_

The demon wrapped its arms around the shaking man, who desperately clamped his eyes shut. "N-No… No…" Bakura's voice trembled. "I-It was the only haven I had… A-And now… And now it's gone…" Bakura hands curled into fists. "It's gone like every other good thing that's happened to me…"

Ryou blinked, watching as Bakura pulled himself out of the demon's embrace and got to his feet, staring into the room with softening eyes. Ryou knew he was still trying to keep on his façade of power, but he was failing…

Bakura crumpled to the floor again, burying his face in his hands as he struggled to keep his breath even. "It was all I ever had to keep me sane… It was all I had to protect myself from him…"

"From who?" Ryou asked softly, watching the demon as it sat down at Bakura's side and wrapped its arms back around the man, pulling him close and holding the man against its chest. Bakura's entire body shook and his breath was so fast Ryou was positive the man was going to break down at any minute…

"_From that monster of a Master that was in rule." _The demon rocked Bakura gently, trying to calm the man down. _"He used to abuse Bakura-san…"_

Ryou noticed Bakura cringe as the demon even mentioned it. The spirit grasped the folds of Bakura's shirt gently, and whispered softly, _"Bakura-san? Do you have any objections to me showing him?"_

Bakura hesitated for a long while, but he slowly sighed and shook his head.

The demon gingerly pulled up Bakura's shirt, and Ryou gasped aloud, covering his mouth with one hand.

The man's back was covered in scars.

"O-Oh…" Ryou whispered softly, not knowing what he could say. Most of the marks were just slightly darker than the man's pale skin, so they almost blended in, but not quite. Ryou noticed they were literally _everywhere. _They started at the base of the man's neck and kept going, apparently stopping near Bakura's hipbones, for the hem of Bakura's jeans obviously cut off some of the view.

"I-I'm sorry…" Ryou whispered, finally lowering his hand. It hurt just _thinking _about what could have caused all those marks… A few of them caught his attention more than the others, though. They weren't pale like the others, but were pitch black. "W-What…"

"_It's from being burned." _The demon answered softly, continuing to gently rock Bakura as the man shook horribly at the mentioning of the cause. _"Those were the ones that never went even close to fading. They left the most pain behind…"_

"He didn't have the right…" Bakura whispered, trembling against the demon's skinny body. They both noticed Bakura's eyes were clouded entirely, and he was hyperventilating, as if the very thoughts were driving him into severe anxiety. "H-He didn't…"

The demon gently pulled its fingertips through the man's snowy hair, feeling Bakura shaking terribly. _"It's okay, Bakura-san… It's going to be okay…"_

Something within him burst. He couldn't hold it in anymore… Bakura's entire body jolted, before the man let out a weak sound, and in seconds, tears spilled from his dark eyes. The man sobbed into the demon's chest again, shaking horribly but making very little noise, as if not knowing what he was doing…

"I-It's n-not fair…" Bakura whispered, hiccupping once. "Why did h-he do that to me? W-Why? L-Look what he's done to me…"

"_He did it because he was a sick human being, Bakura-san. He _didn't_ have a right to do those things to you…"_

Ryou swallowed thickly. He could tell it was bothering Bakura greatly. Even the mentioning of it was messing up his complexion… "Master Bakura?"

The man lifted his head slightly and looked the boy in the face.

Ryou swallowed. Tears dripped down the man's pale face and his eyes were slowly reddening from the crystal droplets. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop looking at the scars that decorated the man's back, and as the man turned, Ryou could see even more upon the man's chest. Ryou swallowed hard, knowing that they'd always be there, always reminding the now shattered being of a man of his past, and no matter how much he tried to forget, he wouldn't be able to…

Ryou couldn't say anything more. His voice was dead in his throat, and the sight of Bakura just silenced him. It hurt him just to think about it, so imagine how Bakura felt… Ryou opened his mouth, trying to come up with something to say to the crumbling man, but he couldn't, so he merely closed it again.

More tears fell down the man's face. "Stop…" Bakura's voice shook as much as his body did. "Stop it… I don't… I-I don't need you to feel sorry for me…" Bakura's clenched fists shook violently. "I-I don't need… I-I d-don't n-need any of you…"

His entire mind was crumbling into pieces. Everything was becoming second-guessed. The tears flooded his eyes, and he couldn't hold them in. He just sat there sobbing, ashamed at himself for stooping so low to cry. He kept telling himself that he didn't need anyone but himself, that needing others was for the weak, that he could take care of himself… But now he didn't know what to think.

"I-I d-don't…" Bakura shook even more, and he closed his eyes tightly, a river of tears that had once been locked away now cascading down his face. "I-I d-don't n-need a-anyone…"

Years of suppressed pain and crying was finally catching up to him. He couldn't hold it in… He had been doing it for so long, and now…

It felt like the final piece shattered, and something broke inside of him.

Suddenly his sobs grew horribly loud, and the tears fell like rain down his face. The pain hurt so much now… He just couldn't hold it in anymore… He just sat there on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably, his entire body shaking violently and his breath was so quick he felt like he couldn't breathe. He desperately gasped for air.

The demon's arms tightened around his frame, and for once, he didn't mind.

* * *

Chapter 22: End.


	23. Chapter 23

Ryou bit his lip as Bakura finally quieted down, his once loud sobs reduced to weak sniffs. The man rested weakly against the shadow, his dark eyes greatly reddened and swollen, his pale face streaked with tear tracks. He looked a mess…

The demon kept stroking the man's hair, and slowly, Bakura fell entirely silent, his breathing still slightly shaky but deep. The demon's eyes were filled with sadness as Bakura slowly fell asleep, obviously worn out.

"…_It still bothers him." _The demon spoke softly, absentmindedly combing its fingers through the man's hair. _"He didn't deserve any of that…"_

Ryou sat down beside them, nibbling on his bottom lip. There were so many questions he wanted to ask now…

"…_That man… I have no regrets from eliminating him from the world. He hurt Bakura-san so much… He also abused a few others, but Bakura-san had it worst…"_

Ryou swallowed hard. _Then he's just like me._

The demon didn't take its eyes off Bakura. _"I was hopeful when they came into the village. I was hoping Bakura-san would finally find a family and happiness, and have some opportunities… And for a while, he did. That man was like a father to Bakura-san. Bakura-san looked up to him. And for a while, he treated Bakura-san like his own son… And that made me happy, for I too treated Bakura-san like my own son. But then the abuse…" _The demon's red eyes narrowed. _"I began to hate that man with all my heart. I wanted to hurt him so badly, but Bakura-san held me back every single time…"_

Ryou blinked as the demon's arms tightened around Bakura's slightly shivering form. Surprise flooded Ryou's eyes as tears began to glisten in the demon's crimson eyes. _"All I wanted was for Bakura-san to be happy… Even now, after all these years, he has yet to receive that happiness… I promised myself that I would always look out for him, that I would do all that I could to make him happy… And now I finally realize that I failed."_

Ryou's eyes widened as the small bracelet about his wrist glowed slightly just then, and he looked up in shock, to see the demon crying, hugging Bakura close.

* * *

"…Malik, what's bothering you?" Marik asked, looking up from the pot of rice, which was yet to boil.

Malik sat at the table, head in his hands. He sighed and shook his head slightly, strands of blonde hair falling into his eyes, which he brushed away near instantly. "Well… You know, I've just been thinking about Master Bakura and Ryou. I mean, what if-"

"I'm sure Bakura is fine. That _thing _loves him far too much to hurt him." He frowned then, "Ryou, however, is another story. I'm sure that kid is going to get hurt or something while he's there. The only purpose he serves is to be used." He sighed, stirring the rice a little. "But if I knew how to get them out, I would."

"What about your magic?"

Marik shook his head. "It's a possibility, but I need a plan. First of all, that thing is probably still using Bakura's body as its own, meaning it has control. It's slim that it's still in the area, so we'll have to find where it went off to. Then we'll have to find a way to get Bakura and Ryou out and then either kill or extract the demon and then seal it. Or like how it absorbed Bakura… If we could get in like that, perhaps killing the demon off would be easier…"

"This isn't going to be easy, is it?"

"Not even close to easy, kid. But that's how life works, I guess."

-

Bakura was silent at the table, barely listening to the demon as it talked to Ryou. It was starting to bring back bad memories even being in the kitchen…

He stood up, his chair scraping against the floor. He didn't want to be here…

"_Bakura-san, where are you going?" _The demon started to stand up as well._ "Bakura-san, you need to eat. You're only-"_

Bakura's voice was low. "I need to clear my head." With that, he walked out of the kitchen and into the cramped hallway, leaving the two behind. He made sure to close the door after himself.

"…I can't believe this…" Bakura said softly to himself, making his way down the hall. "…This isn't right. Not only is that spirit back, but now Ryou's here… and now the kid saw me have a breakdown…" Bakura growled, kicking the wall harshly, before he kept traveling down the hall.

It wasn't too long after that he found himself in front of the iron door again.

Bakura choked it all back and grabbed the door handle in pale hands, and pushed it open, sending light spilling into the hall again.

He wandered inside, the door shutting automatically behind him, but didn't lock. He looked around. Things hadn't changed much since his last visit, when his breakdown occurred…

He sat down on the colored rug that sat in front of the cracked couch, looking at the floor, which was littered with the broken toys. "I used to love this place…"

He reached out with pale hands and scooped up a stuffed cat. It was ripped in several places, revealing the cotton upon the inside. Bakura sighed, staring into its fake, black eyes. "You used to be my favorite toy here, you know."

Bakura's dark eyes widened a little as a tiny golden light came from his hands and made its way about the stuffed kitty, and slowly, the rips and tatters were vanishing. In seconds the toy was fixed, looking as if it was just bought from a store.

"Well, without me here you guys all became broken… So with me, you're fixed, I suppose." A tiny smile touched Bakura's lips as he set the little cat down beside him. He was talking to toys as if they were real again. He found that it was nothing but child's play, but how long did he actually have to relive his memories? He looked around the room, staring at all the broken objects. "…It wouldn't hurt to fix you guys up, would it?"

-

Ryou winced as the bracelet about his wrist began to glow. He dropped his fork back onto his plate, rubbing the area about his wrist. "Why does it hurt?"

Concern suddenly filled the demon's eyes. _"I don't know. What kind of pain is it? Because I have yet to tap into your energy sources for the day, Ryou-kun."_

"It… It kind of feels like a burn."

"_But that's-"_

Suddenly a small sound of laughter could be heard in the small kitchen, resembling that of a child.

The demon leapt to its feet, nearly knocking over the table in the process. It grabbed Ryou by the arm, and pulled him out of his chair, dragging him towards the door. "W-What's going on?" Ryou asked, surprise and pain lining his voice.

The demon said nothing, however, and pulled Ryou into the hallway, dragging him down the cramped corridor.

-

Bakura couldn't help but smile a little to himself. There were two piles on either side of his hips; the right contained the broken toys and the left contained the repaired. Sure, the left side was smaller, but he was starting to get the hang of repairing the toys with the 'magic', even though he had never done it before.

The little gold glow seemed comforting. It didn't intimidate him, but almost made him more eager. It soothed his mind, and he had forgotten all about the pain of his past, at least for now.

A thunder of footsteps snapped him out of his thoughts, and he turned slightly, just enough to look at the door as it was slammed open.

The demon froze. The paint on the walls seemed new, and the cracks in the floor were gone now. The toys had been scooped up into a pile at Bakura's side, and there was another pile at his other, with toys that were in perfect condition. A small orb of golden light was coming from Bakura's hands.

The demon let go of Ryou's arm and ran over to the Master, who just stared up at the demon with dark eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"_I should be asking you that, Bakura-san!"_

"But what's wrong with me being here? I actually found something to do that cleared my head! See?" He held up a repaired toy. "I've never done it before, but this weird light just repairs them. I think it's pretty cool." The glow began around Bakura's hands, but the demon seized his wrist, making Bakura drop the small object, and the magic stopped instantly. "Hey!"

"_Bakura-san, stop. You're not supposed to be using the magic. It reacts to you because this is _your_ room, and it's helping everything come back to life, but you can't use it."_

"Why not? I think you'd be happy that I'm making everything better."

"_Normally I would. I'd be overjoyed that you were returning to your old self, but this is different. This magic requires a ton if strength, Bakura-san. Have you noticed that you get a dizzy when you use it?"_

"Yeah, but I just thought it was a side-effect. So why can't I just finish what I started? I mean, I feel fine…" Bakura picked the toy back up, and the glow started again.

"_Bakura-san, _stop_!" _The demon lunged, grabbing Bakura's wrist again.

The two froze, and looked at Ryou at the sound of coughing.

The entire room was spinning around… He felt so dizzy… He coughed harder, feeling as if he couldn't breathe. Then suddenly, his knees buckled…

"_Ryou-kun!" _The demon scrambled over to Ryou as the boy fell like a stone to the floor, the boy gasping for breath, shaking like a leaf in the wind. Bakura slowly dropped the toy to the floor and made his way over.

Ryou coughed harder, and suddenly, he found himself coughing up blood, getting the crimson substance all over the floor. He moaned in pain, his heart feeling like it was going to burst because it was pounding so hard…

"Why aren't you happy about this?" Bakura forced himself to speak.

"_Because this wasn't my plan! If Ryou-kun dies now, I won't get anything out of him! Your energy is tied to Ryou-kun's because of the bracelet, Bakura-san. So when you were repairing, it sucked out Ryou-kun's strength instead. So if he dies, which won't surprise me by how much you've done, I won't get anything out of him! All of his energy will go to repairing this room!"_

Ryou coughed again, more blood dripping out of his mouth and onto the floor. Tears were flowing down the boy's cheeks, running off his jawbone. He whimpered.

_I can't… I can't let him die. _Bakura swallowed hard. He felt horrible for thinking that, mainly because before he couldn't care less. _I can't. I have to do something… And I have to do it fast._

Ryou moaned softly. His head hurt _badly. _The scent of the blood was making him feel even worse than he already did. When he tried to open his eyes, the light seemed to burn. He coughed again, harder than before, spitting up more blood… _Thanks for being my friend, Malik. Too bad I won't be able to say goodbye…_

Ryou's eyes flew open, and he gasped in pain as someone grabbed his shoulders. The light stung his eyes, but he forced himself to look. He found Bakura over him, grabbing his shoulders as tight as he could. Ryou spoke softly, his voice shaking. "…Happy? I'm… I'm finally…going to…be out of your…way…"

Ryou screamed as Bakura roughly slapped him across the face.

"_Bakura-san!"_

"Look, shut up! I know what I'm doing!" Bakura then glared down at Ryou, his grip tightening on his arms. "What are you, stupid? If you die, the best thing would to get something out of you first."

Ryou's eyes filled with tears. _Then he's still the same monster. The same exact horrible _thing_. Why won't he just leave me alone? It's not like he actually wants me around…_

The tears escaped Ryou's eyes and flowed even faster down his face. He trembled in Bakura's grip, his eyes clouding slowly.

Ryou let out a distressed, weak cry as Bakura slapped him across the face again. "Stop crying! I'm trying to _help_ you!"

When only more tears escaped Ryou's hurt eyes, Bakura drew back his fist, about to punch the boy, but he froze at the red mark splattered across the boy's cheek from Bakura's harsh assault.

The man lowered his fist slowly as he came to a sick realization of what was truly happening.

_I'm just like him. I'm just like that man. Ryou didn't even… _Bakura swallowed, choking it back. _And I hit him… I'm just like him…_

Bakura's grip slackened. "…Kid… I didn't mean to hit you just now, I just…" He shook his head. "…Just let me help you."

Ryou was shaking, staring up into the man's eyes, his own chocolate ones slowly glazing over. But he didn't speak.

Bakura swallowed hard. It wouldn't surprise him if the boy didn't trust him at all. _I abused him like that monster did to me. How _could_ he trust me?_

But as Ryou's head began to slowly go to the left and his eyes were falling closed, Bakura understood that he wasn't going to receive an answer.

He knew that there was only a limited time left before the boy died.

_I have to work fast. _Bakura thought to himself, and his hands tightened, barely recognizing the pained whimper that made its way through Ryou's throat.

* * *

Chapter 23: End.


	24. Chapter 24

Bakura found himself pulling up Ryou's shirt without thinking much about it. He put his fingertips against Ryou's chest, muttering the spell under his breath, his Mark glowing slightly.

Ryou screamed as the skin about Bakura's fingers was cut and began to bleed freshly, blood near instantly covering Bakura's pale fingers.

"_Bakura-san, you're hurting-"_

"I know what I'm doing." Bakura said simply, removing his hand. _Hopefully the wound is big enough… _He didn't bother to wipe away the blood, for he merely put his hand back against Ryou's chest, putting the other against the boy's forehead.

"_Bakura-san, what exactly are you doing?"_

Bakura merely ignored his other soul, and closed his eyes, and muttered the spell beneath his breath. And then there was a moment of tense silence before Bakura opened his eyes again, and he continued to speak the spells near silently.

The demon watched, silent, as a flow of light abruptly came out of Bakura's hand._ Energy?_

Bakura could hear it. He could hear the boy's heartbeat ringing in his ears, and it was ripping away the very little remainder of his sanity. He continued to murmur the spell to himself, watching in hidden satisfaction as the light entered Ryou's body through the slight wound upon his chest.

He closed his eyes again, hand against the boy's head. Thanks to Seto teaching him about seeing into others' consciousness, he could easily do so now. He watched, straining to see through the darkness in Ryou's mind. Finally, he found what he was looking for, and opened his eyes, speaking to his demon, "His energy levels are coming back up now. He should be fine."

Bakura removed his hand from the boy's forehead, and put both of his hands on the boy's chest, muttering something under his breath, and watched as the small wound abruptly sealed up.

The demon wrapped its arms about the man's body, and Bakura leaned against it, panting, exhausted. _"Bakura-san, explain your methods."_

"It was simple, actually." Bakura murmured, closing his eyes to block out the rapidly spinning room. "You know Seto, right?"

"_Yes. He looked after Ryou-kun when you gave him the potion that nearly killed him. The man with high intelligence, correct?"_

"Yeah. Well, anyway, since he's the Reader, he often looks into peoples' minds and bodies to figure out the issue. He taught me his abilities before Ryou came along. By using his abilities, I managed to look far enough into Ryou's mind to find his energy sources. Like when I used the potion, his energy levels plummeted. By using my magic, I managed to transfer enough of my strength to keep him alive. With some rest he should be up and running again tomorrow morning…"

"_Bakura-san, let me ask you something." _The demon noticed Bakura was strangely limp in its arms, the man normally tense when he was embraced. It could sense his exhaustion, so it decided not to ask. _"When Ryou-kun was dying due to the potion, you told the others you knew how to save him, but you refused. Why? You could have done what you did just now-"_

"Because the boy had no purpose. He was meaningless to me." Bakura stared at the floor with tired eyes. "But now, you've found a use for him… I couldn't just let him die without you getting something out of him…"

The demon blinked once, before its crimson colored eyes narrowed just slightly. _"Bakura-san… Do you have any concern for that boy, or not?"_

Bakura blinked in surprise. "What?"

"_Make up your mind. You said he had no purpose, and you still act that way. However, you seemed to regret hitting him earlier. So do you have any concern, or not, for your actions? Because it seems like you still do not care what you do."_

Bakura sat there, silent, as the demon released him. He watched silently as the demon made its way over to Ryou, the boy now unconscious, and began to try to clean away the mess of blood.

* * *

Ryou awoke slowly the next morning. His entire body hurt terribly, and his face had a slight burning sensation upon one side… He moaned weakly, and opened his eyes. He slowly sat upright, whimpering in pain.

He looked around. He noticed he was back in that dark room, leaning against the wall. The demon was nowhere in sight. _How did I…?_

He was snapped out of his sights by a noise that resembled that of a wounded animal. Ryou's head instantly snapped in the direction of the noise, and found that the source was Bakura.

The albino Master was against the wall, like he was, apparently sleeping. The man was tossing around, crying out in his sleep and whimpering.

Ryou blinked in surprise. _He's having nightmares?_

A part of him wished to go closer, to try to awaken the man, but… But most of him was too afraid. He was scared to go any closer, for if he did, he would only get hit… It wouldn't surprise him. Everything he did was a mistake in Bakura's book. He couldn't do anything right. Waking him up would only make things worse…

Bakura suddenly gave an ear-shattering scream.

Ryou jumped, his chocolate eyes wide. Every muscle in his body tensed up in seconds, and he heard footsteps then. He turned his head, finding the demon making its way across the darkened room.

"_Bakura-san! Bakura-san, you have to calm down!" _The demon grabbed Bakura's arms, the man struggling violently in its grip. _"Bakura-san, listen to me!"_

Ryou didn't understand. Why wasn't the man waking up? If it were a simple nightmare, wouldn't he already be snapping out of it? _Something is wrong._

The demon struggled to hold the thrashing Bakura still. It looked to Ryou. _"Ryou-kun, I know he doesn't deserve your help, but please, I need you to hold him still for me. I can't wake him up otherwise._ Please_, Ryou-kun."_

Bakura kept screaming, struggling madly against the demon's grip.

Defeated, Ryou made his way over to the pair. His limbs felt like they were made of lead, but he found that he did in fact have enough strength to walk. He dropped down on the floor upon his knees as he got over to the pair. _"Hold his legs, I have his arms."_

Ryou grabbed hold of the limbs, Bakura's knee almost hitting him in the ribs, but thankfully Ryou managed to dodge it. He held the man's legs still, and the demon pinned his arms down to his sides. But Bakura wouldn't stop screaming.

"_Bakura-san! Bakura-san, calm down! It's okay! You're going to be okay!"_

"What's happening to him?" Ryou asked, having to near yell because of the screaming Bakura. "Why won't he stop?"

"_From what I can see, his memories are becoming a reality in his mind. He's reliving them, causing his mind to plummet into darkness. He can't get out…"_

Bakura suddenly gave out a heart-wrenching scream, making Ryou jump. The boy looked at the demon, surprised to see tears in its eyes. _"Bakura-san, please! You have to wake up! You have to snap out of it!"_

-

He couldn't breathe.

The darkness swarmed over his body, and the substance just kept coming. It had him pinned down, suffocating him, draining him…

It had started out like a simple nightmare, containing nothing more than those painful memories of his past. But it was linked to so much more…

He found the darkness screaming at him like that man used to, telling him he had no purpose, telling him how weak he was, that he should've been destroyed…

And it seemed that with each scream his heart grew weaker. At first he had tried to fight the darkness off, telling himself that he couldn't be weak, but it soon overpowered him, and he soon began to cave in, telling himself that the darkness wasn't lying to him, it was merely speaking the truth…

_/Bakura-san!/ _Bakura's eyes snapped open. He gasped, trying to claw away the darkness that was coiling tighter about his throat, choking him. _/Bakura-san, try to follow me! You have to snap out of it! Wake up!/_

/I…I can't…/ Bakura responded, and at the answer, the darkness crawled over his face, and he clawed at it, struggling to breathe.

_/Just follow me, Bakura-san! We're going to get you out! Just follow me!/_

-

Bakura's screaming stopped and Ryou then released the man's legs. Bakura's eyes flew open, and Ryou could see nothing in those dark orbs but pure terror.

But the demon had done it. It had snapped Bakura out of his darkness.

The demon wrapped its arms about the trembling man, and Bakura buried his face into the demon's chest, struggling not to cry. He couldn't help the feeling. He was becoming terrified of his memories again, and every time he thought about it, he remembered that man… The man that had shattered him…

The demon rocked Bakura gently, the man shaking terribly in the demon's arms. _"Bakura-san… I think you need to thank Ryou-kun. Without him, I may not have been able to free you."_

Bakura froze and looked up, finding himself staring at the teenager. Ryou's expression was blank, and his eyes held no emotion. Ryou spoke. "Don't worry about it. I know how many dents it would put in his ego to thank me."

Bakura growled, but said nothing.

"Let me ask you something." Ryou said, blinking once. "Why did you even bother to save me? You hate me, you think I'm worthless, but yet you save my life. Was it just so that your demon could use me?"

Bakura didn't answer.

"…So that was it." Ryou's shoulders sagged slightly. "You haven't changed at all. You said you didn't mean to hit me, but yet, I'm guessing that was just an utterly false statement. You haven't changed at all. You're still just as heartless as ever-"

"Shut up!" Bakura screamed, pulling himself out of the demon's arms. "Look at yourself! Like _you _have room to criticize me?! You're still just the same weakling-"

"And you still have the same old temper." Ryou said simply, eyes void of emotion. His voice was flat now, and he stared at Bakura through empty eyes. "Then what they say is true. Seconds chances don't need to always be given because some people never change."

Bakura snarled, and in seconds, he had his hands curled about Ryou's throat tightly, slamming the boy into the wall. But what surprised him, was that Ryou didn't even gasp or struggle. He just stared back at him with that empty stare…

"I realize you beat me because I remind you of yourself, back when you were my age." Ryou said, staring into his eyes. "But doesn't that only hurt you more, to think that your abuser rubbed off on you so much that you have began to use his tactics? That you've began to abuse the innocent just because of your own issues? That just because they're innocent that it sickens you inside?"

Bakura's hands were shaking. With a snarl he swung, slapping Ryou harshly across the face. Ryou didn't even flinch, but his head did turn because of the force. He brought his head back up, a red mark across his face. "I know you now. You're just a monster, like he was."

"Don't you compare me to him!" He screamed, slamming Ryou even harder into the wall, his hands nearly solid white from the grip he had upon Ryou. "I'm not like him! I'm _not_!"

"You are, Master. Quit lying to yourself." Ryou didn't make a sound when Bakura hit him again; he merely raised his head. "I'm not stupid. Even now that you've realized what you've done, you can't stop following in his path. You hate yourself for becoming like him, and instead of taking it out on yourself, you take it out on others…"

Bakura was trembling again. He pulled back his fist, roughly punching Ryou in the chest. He repeated the action, but his punches grew weaker and weaker, until he stopped, and bowed his head, his shoulders shaking.

He was crying.

He buried his face in his shaking hands, trembling as he cried. Ryou just watched, knowing that he had finally found a way inside of Bakura. He had gotten in and showed Bakura the sickening reality of himself.

Bakura lifted his head slowly, shaking. Tears cascaded down his pale face, before he looked down at his hands. _The kid is right. I've… I've become a monster, just like him… I've followed him… I've _become_ him._

The tears fell faster. Suddenly a wave of loathing flooded his body, and his hands shook even more. He felt arms around him, apparently his demon, and he pulled away desperately. "D-Don't."

_What did I even do to become this way? _Bakura felt his mind crumbling._ When did I start going wrong?_

He refused to let the demon touch him. The man pulled himself away, getting roughly to his feet, and ran. He darted towards the door and made his way into the cramped hallway, struggling to run through the narrow corridor.

He made his way into the iron door, and yanked it open. He fled to the inside, and the door clicked shut behind him. This time, Bakura turned, and locked it.

He made his way across the room, noticing the toys upon the floor, still in their respected piles. Bakura just ignored them, and made his way over to the sofa. He sat down, staring blankly at the floor.

Self-hatred suddenly flooded his exhausted veins.

Bakura wiped away the remainder of his tears, shrinking into the couch as much as he could. He looked down at his hands. _I hurt so many people… I would beat them for punishment, and I hurt Ryou the most, even though he was the most innocent out of them all. I'm a monster…_

That all-too-familiar thunder of footsteps snapped him out of his thoughts. He looked to the door. _Don't let them in._

The demon, with Ryou in tow, stopped in front of the iron door. Its crimson eyes widened in surprise. Chains were forming about the door, and locks were appearing everywhere. The demon pushed one claw into the lock, but it didn't open. Only more chains and locks appeared on the iron structure.

Bakura sat there on the sofa, silent. He listened, barely breathing. He could hear his demon trying to pick the locks. _It's useless._

Slowly, the noise stopped. Bakura listened as the footsteps receded, and he was left in silence.

He settled into the couch, knowing that today he wasn't going to leave the little playroom. He just sat there, staring into nothingness, before his eyes slowly fell shut, and he drifted off into an exhausted slumber.

* * *

Chapter 24: End.


	25. Chapter 25

Ryou didn't really mind Bakura's absence, but it seemed to be bothering the demon greatly.

Ryou noticed that the demon was starting to use the bracelet more often, sometimes as much as three times a day. The albino often found himself staggering after the draining, realizing that the demon hadn't been lying when it said he'd get weaker and start to feel it…

He awoke that morning to find the demon missing yet again. Ryou had made his way to the iron door of the little playroom, finding the demon trying to pick the locks again, but it was a useless attempt…

"Hey… Maybe you should just leave him alone for a while. You know, don't go near the door at all or speak to him, and maybe he'll come out. He's probably just unstable-"

"_That's why I'm trying to get inside, Ryou-kun." _The demon shook one of the locks. _"He's been so unsound lately that I don't trust him by himself. And it's been almost three days since he came out… And he has barely eaten a thing since he arrived here… I'm just worried about him…"_

-

He could hear them.

Bakura sighed soundlessly, wrapping the blanket tighter about himself, which he had discovered in the closet of the room.

He hadn't slept in almost three days. They always did say three nights without sleep was a sign of insanity… But he just couldn't sleep. Every time he managed to slip into slumber, he was instantly snapped out of it by nothing but nightmares. It was useless to keep trying…

He found everything useless now.

Bakura ignored the conversation between Ryou and his demon. He knew what would happen. Ryou would finally whither away and his demon would regain every power it ever had. Things would spiral back out of control again…

Bakura stood up slowly, the blanket still wrapped around his lean figure, and he made his way to the back of the little room. He reached out, hands curling about an object, which turned out to be the handle of a door as it appeared.

Bakura opened the door then, and slipped inside the room, which turned out to be a bathroom. He shut the door behind himself, and flicked on the lights.

It was just how he remembered it.

Bakura sighed, ignoring the colorful furnishings. He instead reached towards the mirror, and grasped the handle. He noticed there was no longer a lock upon it. He could remember coming in the little bathroom to find the handle with a big lock that only his demon could open, but now it was gone.

He opened it, and it turned out to be a medicine cabinet.

Bakura rummaged through the materials, and reached further back, extracting a small box. He set it down on the countertop, but did not open it.

He lifted his gaze back into the medicine cabinet. The only drugs in the cabinet were weak pills in case of minor aches and pains, and nothing more. There was a first-aid kit, which Bakura ignored without thought. Finding nothing else, he closed the cabinet, and bent down to look under the sink.

Opening the drawers and cabinets, he looked about for a few minutes, his eyes scanning the materials. Bars of soap that had yet to be opened, toothpaste and toothbrushes, towels… There was nothing that sparked his interest. He shut the drawers.

Taking the small box in his arms, he made his way across the small bathroom and sat down upon the ridge of the bathtub, opening the box.

He recognized the items in an instant, especially the scissors. He picked them up in slender fingers, remembering how his demon would sometimes trim his hair when the ends became broken and severely uneven.

He didn't think he'd ever be using them for this…

He left the scissors in his lap, and poured over the remainder of the items in the box. There was one thing he didn't recognize. He reached into the small box and lifted it out, holding it in pale, slim fingers, staring at it.

A photograph. A picture of _him_, back when he was still a little boy…

Tears swelled in his dark eyes in moments, but the man held them back. Tears were meaningless now. There was no point in crying over the past. He refused to cry anymore. Three times was enough.

But while staring at photo, Bakura could see his demon behind him, shadowed arms laced about his neck. Fingers shaking, Bakura quickly threw the photo back into the box, and closed the little container.

He wouldn't see it ever again, anyway.

Bakura picked up the scissors then, staring down at them. "I guess I'll be leaving my own scars this time…"

His hands shaking, he lifted his arm, keeping it level. Slipping his fingers into the holds on the scissors, he opened them, and bracing himself, dug into his skin.

He gasped as pain shot from around the cut, which bled slightly, the blood dripping into the tub. Bakura stared down at the slash, which was just slightly beneath his elbow. It bled just enough to allow blood to drip, but nothing more.

Bakura tensed, just staring at the blood that slowly made its way into the bottom of the tub. Raising the scissors again, he kept deeper than last, beneath the last cut.

More blood flowed down his arm. Bakura trembled, his breath increasing with excruciating pain. He closed his eyes tightly, feeling his arm throbbing.

He couldn't hold the barricade upon the door any longer.

-

Ryou blinked, watching in surprise as the chains and locks upon the door became tainted with red, and slowly disappeared. Confusion became etched upon his face, and in seconds, the demon was charging into the room. Ryou slowly followed.

The demon was looking around the room, checking a few doors that Ryou didn't even know were there. Suddenly the demon was running into a room, and Ryou followed without words.

The demon froze, Ryou right behind, blinking slightly in curiosity. "What's wrong?" he asked, making his way around the demon and peered over in the direction it was staring in. Ryou gasped.

Blood.

The two raced over to the bathtub, but touched nothing. Ryou covered his mouth with one hand, chocolate eyes wide.

The bottom of the bathtub was wet and stained with blood. Bakura's form was sprawled inside, limp, against the bottom. There was a blanket across his slender frame, and there were slashes all over his arms that just kept bleeding. There was a pair of scissors in his hand, covered in crimson, and there was a small box sitting upon the ledge of the tub.

Ryou noticed that the cuts weren't anywhere near the man's wrists, but mainly underneath his elbow and stopping at the middle of his arm.

"_Bakura-san!" _The demon clambered onto the ledge of the tub, reaching in and slipping its arms around Bakura's body before gently lifting him out of the bathtub.

Ryou gulped. The side of Bakura's face, which had been resting against the bottom of the tub, was soaked with blood. His skin was severely pale, and his chest was barely moving. The scissors fell from his fingers then and hit the bottom of the tub with a barely heard sound.

Ryou retrieved them out of the tub as the demon held Bakura close.

"_Bakura-san… Why? Why would you even try something like this?" _The demon's grip tightened. _"You've never been one of self-hatred…"_

"You need to stop the bleeding first. I know you're surprised and all, but you don't know how much blood he's already lost. Most of it probably went down the drain of the tub." Ryou said, rummaging through the cabinets. "Where do you keep your bandages?"

"_In the medicine cabinet. Bakura-san must've been through it already, because that's where I kept that box…"_

Ryou pulled out the first-aid kit, and made his way back across the bathroom. Sitting on the ridge of the tub, he opened it, surprised at all of its contents. "You sure do have a lot of materials."

"_I barely ever had to use them, so they piled up. Bakura-san never got hurt here, which did in fact make me happy. But now…" _The demon stared down at the bundle in its arms. _"Look what I've done-"_

"You did nothing." Ryou said, extracting a needle. "Bakura did this to himself. It was all self-inflicted. You did nothing to cause it. It was probably because of the agony of his memories, or something similar to that."

The demon sat down next to Ryou on the tub. Ryou extracted a rag, wiping away as much of the blood as he could, and began to stitch up Bakura's wounds. The demon watched quietly, before looking at the boy with crimson eyes. _"Where did you learn this?"_

"From Malik. Since Bakura abused me so much, Malik helped me with my injuries most of the time. I learned quite a lot from him, actually."

After Ryou finished, the two sat there in silence for quite a while. The demon kept staring down at Bakura's stitched arms, black lines showing upon his skin.

"You know… Something has been bothering me." Ryou said then, looking up. "You're a demon, yet you seem to hate seeing people get hurt. You actually have a heart in there…"

"_I do, actually. But Bakura-san was the first that I loved this much. He may not have been my first host, but he was the best. I grew quite attached to him, although I'm not quite sure why. It may be because he was in so much pain…" _The demon met Ryou's gaze. _"Look in that box. There should be a photograph in there."_

Ryou did so, and blinked, extracting the picture and held it to he could look at it. Bakura was a lot smaller, and the demon had its arms wrapped about him gently… There was just the slightest smile on Bakura's lips…

"_That monster of a Master ruined the little boy I once knew. He was about nine when that picture was taken, actually… Before the abuse… Back when Bakura-san still had the slightest bit of happiness within him…" _The demon's voice trembled slightly as it spoke of it._ "I can't believe I let it get so bad-"_

"You don't give yourself enough credit." Ryou stared into the demon's crimson colored orbs, the albino teenager frowning slightly. "From what I've heard, you took good care of Bakura. Then they sealed you away, so you lost connection with him. So what happened to Bakura after you were ripped away from him isn't nearly your fault. And when you were still sharing his body, it seems like you not only treated Bakura like a son, but a friend. He looked up to you and trusted you, treating you like the only friend he ever had."

Bakura whimpered softly then, tensing up in the demon's arms.

"_I just wish I could've helped him more." _The demon responded softly, staring down at Bakura's pale face, pain etched across his features. _"That was all I wanted. I only wanted to make him happy…"_

"I'm sure you did make him happy. Quit being so hard on yourself." Ryou said, resting a pale hand on the demon's shoulder. "Will it make you feel any better to talk about it?"

"_You're such a good kid. Sweet, even."_ The demon smiled slightly, reaching out, and ruffled Ryou's snowy hair gently. _"But yes, I would like that very much. It's been so very long I've held an actual conversation with anyone."_

Ryou nodded, "I understand."

"…_There was something that plagued my sleep for many, many months. And it wasn't Bakura-san's abuse…" _The demon sighed softly, looking down at the motionless Bakura in its arms. _"When Marik-san came to visit, the regions were in the midst of war…"_

"Like what's going on now?" Ryou asked.

"_It was very similar." _The demon closed its eyes for a moment. _"Bakura-san didn't know what was happening, though. No one talked to him. He was pretty much isolated from the outside world, not knowing of the events beyond the castle…_

"_And that was when Marik-san came. Marik-san did not speak of the war in any of their conversations, however. Marik-san mostly just told stories, and I often watched silently, watching curiosity and excitement flood Bakura-san's features._

"_It happened the night after Marik-san left back for his region. All was silent, everyone sleeping… Bakura-san and I were still awake, talking quietly, but it was mostly Bakura-san talking to me, telling me excitedly of what Marik-san told him… And he looked so happy, even if it was short-lived…_

"_Suddenly I could hear voices outside the bedroom door. Crashes began to shake the castle, and I pulled Bakura-san closer to me, and I could feel him shaking in terror and confusion. But I didn't say a word of the war. I didn't want to frighten him, because I knew he was already terrified._

"_They broke in. As the door came down, I could see the halls swarming with the enemy. Three of them were already in the room, and they were grabbing Bakura-san up into their arms, obviously not noticing me, for my form cannot be seen by those who do not have the correct power._

"_So I took over Bakura-san's body. I did not wish for him to get hurt in any way possible… But I wound up killing. So when Bakura-san wished for his body back, and I did so… He saw the blood on his hands and the bodies… He screamed. It was a scream of pure horror, and it nearly broke my heart._

"_I pulled him close, telling him it would be okay, that it was over, but he just shook against me. I managed to calm him down, and I tucked him back into bed. By then the enemy had been destroyed…_

"_But that night I had nothing but nightmares. I dreamed that they were taking him away from me, that he was getting tortured before me, and there was nothing I could do… It ruined my mind, having those dreams…_

"_I was actually surprised when I awoke crying. I always slept at Bakura-san's side, the little one tucked under the covers and I would just sit there with my legs to my chest and watch him sleep until I drifted off… But for some reason, my legs were sprawled before me, and I was gripping my arm so tight it nearly drew blood._

"_Bakura-san was out of bed, sitting upon his knees before me. His hair was messy and he looked half-asleep, so I knew he had just woken up… And he looked at me with dark eyes and whispered, 'Why are you crying?'_

"_I only cried harder. I pulled him closer and cried, until I finally calmed down. I finally released him and he looked up at me, and smiled, and said to me, 'It'll be okay. I'm not gonna leave.'_

"_And all I could was hug him… I was so scared after those nightmares. They drove me insane, leading me to believing that Bakura-san would be taken away from me… But when he reassured me like that…"_

Ryou blinked, expression softening. The demon had stopped talking by now, shoulders trembling just slightly as tears escaped crimson colored eyes. "Hey… It's over now. He's okay, you're okay…" Ryou smiled slightly. "Everything is fine, right?"

The demon smiled a little at him, ignoring the tears that kept rolling down its face. _"Thank you, Ryou-kun."_

The demon stood up then, and the pair exited the bathroom. Ryou watched the demon gently set Bakura down upon the couch, draping the blanket over him. _"Do you mind if I stay in here for tonight?"_

Ryou shook his head, and made his way to the door. He exited the room, looking back, over his shoulder, to stare momentarily before making his way down the narrow corridor.

* * *

Chapter 25: End.

A/N: My chapters are getting longer, guys. :)


	26. Chapter 26

Pain. It was all he could feel as he came back to reality.

His memories were foggy. He didn't know where he was, and he could barely remember what happened… _I… I cut myself._

He could remember a little more now. Sitting there, unmercifully dragging the pair of scissors into his arms until blood flowed down his skin… So much blood… Then his hands started shaking uncontrollably, his entire body violently trembling… He fell then, hitting the bottom of the tub, barely registering it, until he felt blood soak the side of his face… And then there was nothing but darkness…

The demon watched silently as Bakura gave a barely audible moan, but he didn't open his eyes. The demon reached out, brushing the man's bangs out of his eyes, but did nothing else.

Summoning what very little strength he had, he tried to force his eyes open. Even the very little amounts of light around him burned his eyes, but he kept going. He slowly opened his eyes entirely, staring blankly upwards at the ceiling. Suddenly he felt something touch him. Something gentle, touching his hair…

The demon stopped as Bakura tensed up. It could tell Bakura could barely see, for his eyes were cloudy and slightly glazed. But slowly, Bakura managed to lift one hand, and he touched the demon's own with trembling fingertips, before his hand froze.

"_It's me, Bakura-san."_

Everything froze. Bakura felt his heart slowly pick up speed. _Then…I failed… I'm still here… _He dropped his hand. _But it doesn't…make any sense… My demon doesn't even know how to repair wounds…_

The demon sighed softly, albeit sadly, gently pulling its fingers through Bakura's snowy mane. _"Bakura-san… Why did you do it? You've never been one of self-hatred, or one to be self-destructive…"_

Bakura tried to pull away, but found that he couldn't move. He was too weakened, having lost too much blood to move… He let out a small sound, trying to signal that he didn't want to be touched.

The demon sighed once more, and did so, dropping its hands. It watched quietly as Bakura made small sounds, trying to move, but it did nothing to help.

Bakura grunted softly, struggling. He could move his legs, but his arms felt like they were made of lead… He could see pretty well now, since his vision had become adjusted to the light again. His gaze fell to his arms, and his brown, crimson-tinted eyes widened slightly.

His arms were covered in bandages. They were pure white and showed no forms of blood whatsoever…

Bakura grunted again, arching his back, as he slowly forced himself to sit up. As he straightened to the upright position, he began to tear at the bandages, ripping them off as fast as he could. He merely let the white wraps fall onto the couch, not paying them any attention.

He froze as his real skin was revealed.

His cuts were stitched up, his forearms covered with thin, black lines. There were some stains of blood upon his pale arms, but that wasn't what bothered him. Why were there _stitches _in his arms?

Bakura, out of just a slight curiosity, prodded himself upon the arm, quite hard. A harsh pain erupted in his arm, bubbling to the surface. Bakura gasped slightly. A part of him didn't want to feel the pain anymore, but another – almost half of him – wanted those stitches _out. _Out and _gone._

But he didn't know how – or where – to start.

_I just need to break them. _Bakura thought, and turned, putting his feet against the floor. _That won't be too hard…_

His demon just watched as Bakura slowly climbed off the couch and got to his feet. _"Bakura-san, you need to get some more rest. You're still not too-"_

"Back off." Bakura suddenly snarled, regaining his voice in seconds. "I don't need your help. I don't need _anyone's_ help. And I'll prove it."

"_Bakura-san, listen to me! I know you're angry and pretty upset, but-"_

"And who can blame me?!" Bakura screamed. "My whole _life _is screwed up, and I finally can't _take_ it anymore!"

"_Bakura-san, I know. I only want to help you, and you know it…" _The demon approached its host, gently putting its hands on the man's shoulders. _"You just-"_

"Get off of me." Bakura growled dangerously. "Just leave me alone."

"_I _did_ leave you alone, and you locked yourself away and cut yourself until you nearly died." _The demon's hands tightened slightly. _"You're unstable right now, Bakura-san. I don't want to see you getting hurt anymore-"_

"Stop _touching _me!" Bakura screamed, jerking away. "I don't _need_ help! I don't _want_ it! I just want to be _alone_!" he bellowed, clamping his eyes shut, his hands clenched into fists. He could feel his fists shaking at his sides.

"_Bakura-san, please, just listen-"_

_I have to get out of here. I have to get away. _Bakura reeled backwards, stumbling away, before turning on his heel, and he bolted towards the door. _I have to get out!_

He strained to run through the tiny hallway, fresh splinters of pain racking through the area about his stitches. He just kept running until he couldn't run anymore… He groped at the walls desperately, before his hands curled about a cold door handle. He ripped the door open desperately and bolted inside.

He dropped instantly to his knees, panting. His hands were still in fists, tight against the floor. His arms were throbbing from being jostled around so much…

He looked up to study the room. Strangely, he didn't recognize it.

It resembled that of an attic. Bakura slowly got up, staring. There were boxes literally _everywhere, _near overflowing with items, most of which he didn't recognize.

He staggered over to the boxes, and rummaged through them, blinking when he noticed a small box, about the size of a photo. He took it out, and removed the lid, finding that was all it contained. It wad filled with nothing but photographs.

Bakura raised a snowy eyebrow, taking out the stack of photos, thumbing through them. Each one was the same: his demon was standing next to a child. _Previous hosts, I bet…_

He put the photographs back and began to root through the remainder of the boxes. Most of them contained toys. However, one box caught his eye. It was the smallest one, and it was taped shut, unlike the others. Bakura picked it up and sat down upon the floor, holding the box in his lap. As he began to peel off the tape, he noticed that on the side 'Do Not Open' had been written with black marker. Bakura ignored the warning and ripped off the remainder of the tape. With his pulse quickening, he opened the box.

He froze. Guns and weapons stared innocently back at him. His fingers brushed past pocketknives and boxes of matches to dig deeper into the box. There were photographs that made Bakura's heart skip beats. Pictures of children, staring up with dying eyes… Bottles of acid and vials of fluid… Bleach…

Bakura stopped as he heard footsteps. Footsteps he recognized quite well.

Hurriedly, he grabbed one of the knives out of the box, and flicked out the blade quickly. _Not this time. Not again._

He raised his arm, barely hesitating, before he rammed the metal into his arm, and began to pull the blade through his skin. He began to gasp as a fresh fire of pain began. It hurt even more than the first time… As he cut, the stitches were ripping along with his skin, reopening the old wounds.

Blood spilled onto the hardwood floor.

Bakura was shaking, trying to breathe evenly, but he was in so much _pain. _He switched the pocketknife into his other hand, which was starting to tremble. He cut into the other arm, watching the crimson spill from his arm. He sliced at the stitches as much as he could, cutting them apart.

He dropped the knife. It fell with a small clatter to the floor, which was becoming more and more stained with his blood.

He felt dizzy, holding out his arms, staring as the blood cascaded down his arms and dripped to the floor. _I can't stop._

He seized the knife in his hands again, and choking back the pain, he lifted his shirt, before unmercifully plunging the knife into his stomach.

A wave of pain flooded his stomach in seconds.

Bakura began to gasp, his entire being shaking horribly as the pain began to overpower him. He was starting to lose too much blood…

The footsteps were terribly close now.

_Almost… _Bakura ripped out the blade then, panting and gasping in pain. His head was spinning now. He was so close that he could almost taste it… _Almost there._

Blood was staining the front of his shirt now. Bakura's vision was beginning to fail, darkening slightly. He panted tiredly, and tensing slightly, he plunged the knife into his thigh, his hand curled tightly about the handle of the weapon, stifling a scream. He watched as the leg of his jeans becoming engulfed with crimson.

With trembling hands, he yanked the weapon out, a rush of blood tainting his jeans in seconds. He hefted the knife into his right hand, and plunged it as hard as he could into his shoulder._ I'm…going to die…_

He collapsed.

Bakura didn't move, sprawled on the floor, his chest heaving as he gasped for air. He felt sick now… He had lost far too much blood, even more than cutting in the bathroom… _Finally… The pain…is going to stop…_

His fingers trembling, he reached out and began to write with his blood, the crimson smearing easily across the floor.

His vision finally darkened completely, and his head hit the floor as he fell into a pit of unconsciousness.

-

"Huh…" Ryou rubbed tiredly at one eye and stopped in his tracks. There was a door, wide open, a few feet away. "That's odd… Don't the doors close automatically?"

Ryou stumbled down the remainder of the hall. Not only was staying awake during the day becoming a harder and harder task, but it was starting to become difficult to even walk. Something told him it wouldn't be much longer before the remainder of his strength would be drained out of him…

Ryou made it to the door, and was about to close it, but stopped. _Blood._

Ryou stumbled in a few steps, and froze. The crimson substance was _everywhere. _The albino blinked, eyes getting a little wider as he realized the crumpled form on the floor was Bakura. His body was in a heap, blood covering the floor beneath him.

Ryou retreated from the room, shouting for the dying man's demon.

It took only about a minute for the demon to reach Ryou. _"Ryou-kun, what's wrong?" _Concern was filling its crimson eyes. _"Please don't say it's about Bakura-san…"_

Ryou just nodded. "…I'm sorry… But…" The teenager shook his head, grabbing the demon by the arm and pulled it gently into the room.

"_Bakura-san!" _The demon tried to pull out of Ryou's grip, but the teen held it back. _"L-Let go! Bakura-san-"_

"He's probably dying." Ryou said softly. "We have to help, and quick. Okay? I know you're in shock and it hurts, but we have to be quick about it. He's… He's lost quite a _lot_ of blood…" Ryou said softly, staring at the enormous pool of crimson on the floor. "So we need to hurry. You'll have to help me this time, all right?"

The demon nodded. Ryou could see tears glittering in its crimson orbs, barely being suppressed.

"Okay. I need you to find me a first-aid kit, preferably a large one." Ryou said, over at Bakura's crumpled body by now. "Hurry."

Ryou lifted Bakura's shirt, reopening the wound slightly. He folded the edges of the man's shirt, trying to apply pressure onto his stomach wound, which seemed to be bleeding heavily.

The demon scampered back over to Ryou, hefting a large container in its arms before setting it down upon the floor. Ryou opened it. "I need you to put pressure on his stomach wound. It should slow the bleeding a bit."

The demon obeyed without words as Ryou dug through the box of medical equipment, extracting a small bowl, a bottle of liquid, needles…

Ryou began pouring peroxide into the small bowl, putting in a small sponge, and began to put thread into the needle. He glanced at the demon, who was still applying pressure to Bakura's bleeding stomach, and stroking Bakura's hair slightly, tears coming back in its crimson eyes.

"We're going to start with his arms, okay? The bleeding isn't as heavy elsewhere, more than likely. I mean, he reopened the old wounds and made new ones upon his arms, so it's even worse…"

Ryou took the man's right arm, which was the most damaged. Blood soaked the skin like a crimson river, and as Ryou rubbed it away with his shirt sleeve, he could see the many, many cuts, and if he stared hard enough, he could see the ripped pieces of stitches in his skin.

With most of the blood out of the way, Ryou began to rub the sponge over Bakura's wounds. The man didn't even tense at the touch of the alcohol…

After he did so, Ryou began to hurriedly stitch up Bakura's arm. "Put some thread in a few more needles for me."

Ryou noticed he had to use even more thread for Bakura's stitches this time. He had figured out that Bakura had cut deeper and harder than last time, to make it even worse… The teenager started on the man's left arm then, repeating the cycle. "We can remove the pieces of stitches later, okay?"

After the man's arms were done, Ryou quickly disinfected and then stitched up the deep wound upon the man's stomach.

Ryou fished out a pair of scissors from the box and cut away some of the remaining fabric on the area of Bakura's jeans, revealing the wound, and he repeated the process.

Finally all that was left was the wound around the knife, which was still lodged into Bakura's bleeding shoulder.

Ryou grabbed the pocketknife, and slowly started to remove it.

Bakura gave a barely audible whimper at the movement.

The demon brightened slightly at the sound, as if it was all reassurance that the man was still alive.

Ryou finally removed the weapon and began the process all over again. He felt Bakura tense, just slightly. It was barely noticeable, but Ryou felt it under his hands as he began to clean the wound. _Then he's still alive, at least._

Ryou didn't really understand it. Bakura had hurt him quite badly… And now the man who abused him was falling apart before him, and for some reason, Ryou just couldn't hate him. It confused him. Why couldn't he hate this man for what he did?

Ryou finally finished stitching the wounds, and he began to bandage over them, tying the clean white wraps over Bakura's abused skin.

Soon there was silence, and everything became still.

The demon, almost hesitantly, wrapped its arms around Bakura and pulled him a little closer. Bakura gave out a tiny sound, but made no movement whatsoever as a response otherwise.

Ryou studied the scene around him. The knife was soaked with blood. There was still a large puddle of blood upon the floor, although Bakura's clothes had already absorbed most of it, staining the fronts of his clothes bright red. Something, however, caught Ryou's attention.

Writing.

The albino bent down to stare at the floor, raising one snowy eyebrow in slight confusion. _'Tell Marik that I'm sorry.'_

Ryou swallowed. _Then he really did intend on ending himself. If I didn't get here when I did, he probably would have bled to death…_

The albino turned to stare at the Master. Even though the man had fallen unconscious, his face still held an expression of pain. Blood stained his once snow-white hair, covered his clothes and was smudged upon his hands… Ryou could see dark circles under the man's eyes from lack of sleep, and his shirt seemed baggy now, as a result from not eating anything.

_He's falling apart… _Ryou couldn't help but to feel sorry for him.

Ryou's chocolate eyes rose slightly to stare at the demon, seeing it holding Bakura gingerly but close, crimson eyes closed, but it couldn't contain the tears.

_It loves Bakura like a son and its closest friend… And now Bakura is just crumbling into pieces… It must be killing the poor thing… _Ryou sighed softly.

The demon couldn't hold back, sobbing over Bakura's limp, bruised, and bloodied body. The man was motionless, head bent to the left just slightly. _"B-Bakura-san…" _Its arms tightened about Bakura, and the tears increased without warning. _"Bakura-san…"_

Ryou's heart burned in pity.

* * *

Chapter 26: End.

A/N: Yay! This chapter is even longer than the last! XD


	27. Chapter 27

It hurt so _badly_. He found himself in complete darkness that was nearly suffocating him. He found that he didn't have a voice anymore. Not there was anyone around to hear him if he screamed…

Suddenly light began to pierce at the darkness around him. He found himself fighting against it, struggling to cling to the shadows. But of course that was an impossible task…

Slowly, the darkness faded entirely, and gave away to a pale color of a ceiling. His eyes had opened without him knowing it.

_Where am I? _He wondered to himself, slightly curious. _It… It seems familiar…_

Suddenly it hit him like a ton of bricks. He was back in the little playroom.

With a burst of strength he didn't even know he had, Bakura sat bolt upright, and instantly regretted it. A wildfire of severe pain erupted inside of him, and he let out a cry of agony, falling back down onto his back on the couch.

Every part of his body throbbed.

Bakura let out a whimper, the entire room spinning violently. He closed his dark eyes in an attempt to block out the swirling images, his stomach suddenly flopping as if he was going to throw up.

_But why am I still here?! _Anger flooded his veins in seconds. He forced his eyes back open and gritting his teeth, he slowly sat upright, glaring at the visible stitches on his pale skin. The anger boiled in his blood, morphing into fury near instantly. _What is so hard for them to understand?!_

He was so tempted to rip the stitches out again, to tear himself to pieces this time, but it hurt to even move. There was no _way _he was strong enough to pick up another blade and cut…

"_Oh…" _There were some footsteps. _"Bakura-san, you're awake?"_

Bakura merely snarled as a response.

His demon slowly entered the room, alone. _"I missed you terribly these past three days, you know…"_

Bakura suddenly forgot about his anger. "Wait. Did you just say three days? I've been asleep for _three _days?"

"_Yes. And I'm afraid to say that you missed quite a lot, Bakura-san." _His demon slowly made its way across the little room and sat down on the arm of the sofa. _"You missed a lot of things…"_

"Like what?" Bakura asked, raising a snowy eyebrow.

"_Well…" _The demon turned slightly, revealing its back. Tiny black wings had sprouted from its backside, obviously still growing. _"This, for one."_

Bakura swallowed hard.

The demon turned back around, and put one finger on its chin, as if pondering it. Its nails had lengthened and its crimson eyes were brighter. _"Oh, and you missed a few incidents with Ryou-kun. We had a little bit of fun, actually. He showed me some tricks he knew by using his little tattoo, Bakura-san. And we talked about a lot of things and he played games with me like you used to. Oh, and he taught me more about treating injuries." _The demon smiled. Its fangs were also longer than before, looking sharper as well.

"But where is he? Doesn't he usually tag along with you?"

"_Well, he was going to come check on you with me like usual, but he said he had to use the bathroom. So I just came by myself."_

-

Ryou was slumped on the bathroom floor. His head was leaning against the door with his legs sprawled before him, strands of his white hair falling over his shoulders and into his face.

_It's useless… _Ryou glanced down at the bracelet upon his wrist, which was glowing slightly with that eerie red. _I'm never going to get it off…_

He had spent the entire time in the bathroom trying to pry off the little decoration, but it only tightened and began to glow, draining some more of his energy.

The draining led to his knees buckling and he had collapsed onto the floor.

Ryou sighed softly. He couldn't stand back up; he had already tried. He didn't have enough energy left in his body anymore. So all he could do was just sit there on the floor until the demon came looking for him…

To occupy himself, Ryou activated his magic, his tattoo lighting up. He smiled to himself as a small ball of light took shape in his cupped hands. Holding one hand in the same position, he lifted the other, beginning to make different patterns with his free hand. The orb in his other hand began to move, following the patterns and spinning around.

Ryou removed his hand and the orb fell to the floor. The teenager put out both hands and moved them forward; the orb rolled across the floor in the same direction.

Ryou's once small smile widened in seconds. _Well, at least I accomplished _something_, even if it is as small as this._

He was so occupied with the orb of light he never heard the footsteps outside the door, and a sudden knock snapped him out of his thoughts. _"Ryou-kun? Are you okay in there?"_

"I fell and now I can't get up." Ryou said softly through the door, feeling his face heat up. "I'm sorry. It's just that I don't have enough strength anymore-"

"_Don't apologize, Ryou-kun. I understand. Hold on a second." _There was a slight amount of footsteps and then a small sound, before the footsteps came back. _"Are you in front of the door?"_

"Yeah, but I'll move out of the way. Hold on." Ryou managed to scoot just enough away so that the door couldn't smash into his body. "Okay."

The demon opened the door, blinking down at Ryou, who blushed brightly with embarrassment. _"Okay, hold still."_

Ryou squeaked as the demon grabbed him and hauled him off the floor in one swift movement. _"There. You know, Ryou-kun, you're quite light for your height."_

Ryou's blush strengthened, going from pink to crimson as the demon carried him out into the hallway. Ryou noticed Bakura sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall. "Master? You're awake?"

"What does it look like?" Bakura snapped, and Ryou flinched in the demon's arms. "Ra, you're an idiot."

"_Bakura-san, I wish you would be nicer to Ryou-kun." _The demon set Ryou down upon his feet, letting him go. Ryou yelped and clung to the demon's arm as his legs tried to go out from under him again, the said limbs trembling violently beneath him. _"After all, Ryou-kun saved your life. Twice. If it wasn't for him, you'd be-"_

"Dead." Bakura finished, his voice without emotion. "That's what I planned in the first place, and you guys ruined it. What did you _think_ I wanted?! I wanted myself gone! What is so difficult for you two to understand about that?!"

"_Bakura-san… You of all people should know I do not want you to die." _The demon's voice was lined with sadness. _"You're the only one who I've loved this much and felt such a connection to. To be honest, you're the one that even survived so many years with me in your body…"_

"What are you talking about?" Bakura growled, glowering up at his demon.

"_I know you saw the photographs in that room. Those were pictures of my previous hosts. And none of them are still alive." _The crimson eyes were raised skyward then, _"They're all dead."_

"What did they all die from, then?" Bakura asked, his eyes narrowing.

"_From war, disease, blood loss, you name it…" _The demon softly shook its head. _"And that includes suicide. And I don't want to lose you too Bakura-san…"_

The Master looked away, snorting, and crossed his arms across his chest. "Whatever. I'll do as I want. Neither of you can control me."

The demon merely sighed. _"All right, Bakura-san."_

Bakura just sat there on the floor, watching the two disappear down the hall, Ryou struggling to walk on his own two legs with his demon helping him along the way down the corridor.

* * *

The rest of the week was chaotic.

Bakura had slowly gained back his strength, but constantly he was trying to separate himself from the other residents, and often when he was denied the option his rage kicked in, which usually ended up badly. The most common thing would be the man punching something – often, the wall – until his hands bled. And he screamed at the others until he was hoarse.

Sometimes, although it happened less than the outbursts of rage, Bakura would fall into a slight state of depression. He wouldn't talk to anyone at all and he'd often just sit in silence for the rest of the day, wrapped up in his own thoughts.

It was as if every second the Master was angry or depressed.

While Bakura began to fall into shambles, the demon was regaining its true identity. Its wings were returning quickly, and an aura of power was beginning to emit from its body.

Neither of the two noticed how Ryou seemed to be retracting into himself.

Ryou's strength was getting so low that he couldn't walk by himself anymore. His legs couldn't support his weight any longer. He wasn't eating as much but he slept more. Ryou continued to talk to the others, smiling albeit his situation.

But it was just a mask: a mask that the others bought without question, just like Ryou used to buy Bakura's.

Depression was secretly settling into Ryou's veins, knowing that the days were limited. He truly didn't have a will to do anything anymore, not that there was much he _could_ do, giving how weak he was now…

The albino was currently curled up in one corner of the couch, the tattered blanket about himself. Even with the covering, he was still shaking with cold. His chocolate eyes were vacant, void of emotion, slowly pouring over the thoughts in his head. He didn't even hear the footsteps that sounded.

The demon sighed softly as it noticed Ryou's blank eyes. It made its way across the room and bent down slightly, gingerly putting a hand on Ryou's shoulder, shaking Ryou softly. _"Ryou-kun. Ryou-kun, come on, it's time for dinner."_

Bakura watched silently from the doorway, arms folded across his chest. He snorted quietly before glaring down at his bandaged hand. It had been about an hour ago and his hand was still bleeding a little.

"_Ryou-kun." _The demon shook his shoulder harder. _"Ryou-kun, come on."_

When Ryou didn't react, the demon sighed and merely straightened up, heading back towards the door. Bakura raised a snowy eyebrow. "Why didn't you wake him up?"

"_I can't. He's finally caving in, Bakura-san. He's growing so weak now that I think the only thing he can do is think about what will lie in his path when he's finally gone from the world. And I think he's grown to be so wrapped up in those thoughts that he's burrowed into himself and he doesn't even feel a connection to the real world when he's thinking about it all. It's almost like he's unconscious, but with his eyes open." _The demon sighed softly. _"I can't help but to feel bad for him-"_

"Why?" Bakura near snarled, eyes being swallowed with anger. "It's not like he matters or anything. You only brought him here to use him-"

"_But now I've grown a bit attached to him, Bakura-san. And it certainly doesn't help that he reminds me so much of you when you were that age…"_

"I wasn't like him." Bakura stated, anger lacing his voice.

"_Bakura-san, please… Please, just stop lying. You know you were and you still are somewhere deep down. You're still a child in the bottom of your soul. A child that is lost and upset and in need of so many things that isn't being given…" _The demon tilted Bakura's head up with one long finger so that the man's eyes locked with its own. _"And I know that you realize that, but yet you try so hard to not believe it. And it's killing you. And if you don't know it or not, it's hurting me too, Bakura-san." _Bakura blinked as the demon dropped its hand and it started into the hall. _"Sometimes I wish you were more like Ryou-kun."_

"Why?!" Bakura screamed, anger bubbling in his blood. "Ryou is nothing! He's street trash! He's a whiny little brat who-"

"_Ryou-kun is a very strong young man. He's gone through so much and yet it's none of your concerns. He received abuse from you, and yet he didn't snap under the pressure. He lost everything before he came to your little castle, Bakura-san, and yet you didn't really care. And yet even after all of this, Ryou-kun still forces himself to smile. It's amazing, really, how he hasn't caved in completely before now because of all he went through. And yet Ryou-kun doesn't deny any of it. He takes it and takes it… He has such a backbone and yet he's so gentle. He has a very contained temper, and rarely does he bother other people to complain. He used to be on the streets because he had nowhere else to go, and had to steal from others to live. Does that remind you of anyone?" _The demon's crimson eyes were narrowing, accusing… _"And he had no one to turn to for comfort. At least you had me to help you out! And yet you _continue _to hurt that boy. You should be ashamed of yourself."_

Bakura's eyes narrowed as he watched his demon vanish down the hallway. The albino Master then turned his attention to Ryou, who was still motionless and doll-like upon the sofa. "…I don't even see why it matters. You're going to die anyway." Bakura muttered, making his way across the room and stood before the sofa, staring down at Ryou's motionless figure.

Snorting, the albino made his way towards the bathroom. He left the door open, knowing that his demon could easily sense if he was planning something. Leaning over the countertop, he stared momentarily into the mirror.

He reached up, fingering his messy white hair, noticing how much anger filled his dark eyes, which remained narrowed almost every second now. He then stared down at the stitches on his arms, and as he lifted his shirt he could see the ones upon his stomach, and another part of him knew there were more; others on his shoulder and in his thigh… And he knew those stitches would leave scars.

Scars that would bring pain every time he saw them, so similar to the ones that already stained his back.

Something began throbbing in his head at the thought. Bakura snarled, drawing back his fist before slamming it into the mirror. He watched the glass crack and break slightly, the razor sharp material slicing easily through his bandages and cutting at his fist. The now near destroyed mirror was missing several pieces of glass, cracked in several places. Bakura was left staring at himself, but there was more than one image he had to gaze at…

Bakura drew back his fist again, ramming it once more into the glass, ignoring the fresh pain in his hand, and he just watched as the glass began to crumble and fall onto the countertop, shattering further.

He didn't want to even look at himself.

Bakura was hunched over the countertop, and slowly, he slid off of it and dropped onto his knees on the floor amidst the pieces of broken glass. He stared at his hands, which were pressed against the floor to help him maintain his balance.

Blood tainted his skin, visible through the sliced bandages.

Bakura watched the blood slowly drip to the floor, knowing that it would more than likely stain the flooring. That throbbing in his head suddenly strengthened, and the man tensed up.

With a cry, Bakura drew back his fist again, roughly slamming it against the floor. His shoulders were trembling. He slowly leaned back so that he was sitting on his rear, and he stared blankly at the floor as his shoulders shook, watching the small droplets of blood drip onto the floor.

Swearing to himself, he roughly pulled his fingers through his hair, not realizing how he was smearing the blood into the white strands, trying to block out the pounding in his head.

Finally, it stopped.

Bakura let out a weak, but yet heavy sigh, slumping slightly and leaned heavily against the cabinets, tilting his head backwards so that it too leaned against it. His gaze was up at the ceiling.

_What is _wrong_ with me? _He mused to himself, pressing his hands against his forehead. _I don't _get _it. I was just fine with my life until that demon came back… And now everything about me is just getting completely messed up…_

_It never should've returned to me._

Bakura slumped against the cabinets, sighing softly. The throbbing in his head was thankfully gone, but now his hand pulsed with pain from being cut, the old gashes reopened and bleeding.

His dark eyes were fixed on the blood, watching it slowly run down his hand and drip to the flooring. And he hated himself for the thoughts that trailed into his mind then.

He wanted to see more of that blood come out.

* * *

Chapter 27: End.


	28. Chapter 28

A/N: Ugh. It's been about ten days since I updated this fanfiction, sorry. But I've been working on my story! Yes, a real story! A novel. :) Oh, and it's about vampires! :'D Yay! And you know, I think I've grown so accustomed to this site's writing environment that when I'm working on my real story I feel like I'm just writing a fanfic, but minus the already copyrighted characters. XD Who knows, maybe this story I'm working on will actually lead me somewhere... -clenches fists- I just have to stay positive, right?! :'D

* * *

He lost track of time. He didn't know how long he was sitting there upon the bathroom floor amidst the broken pieces of the mirror, merely watching the crimson river flow out of his hand.

And while he watched, he only wanted to see more. But yet he knew he would only be caught if he cut… _Even if Ryou is incapable of stopping me, he taught my mirror soul how to stop the bleeding._

Thankfully the throbbing in his temples had stopped. He slowly wrapped his hands about the counter and managed to haul himself back up onto his feet.

For some reason, he found himself smiling down at the rather large, bloody print his hand had left behind on the countertop. The droplets of blood seemed to stare innocently up at him from their place on the floor.

Suddenly, he realized he was actually grinning at the blood. He shook his head, swallowing thickly. He made his way into the medicine cabinet, reaching for the first-aid kit. He took it in his hand that wasn't bleeding and he sat back down on the floor, opening the box up and took out the roll of bandages. He began to bandage his hand, one end of the cloth between his teeth.

"Mas…ter?"

Bakura froze at the voice, at first not recognizing it, but he knew he had been caught. He turned his head slowly to look over his shoulder to find himself staring up at Ryou. And for some reason, he couldn't tear his eyes away.

Ryou was leaning heavily against the doorway. His figure was slumped, mostly against the doorframe, but yet still forward a bit. His once perfect white hair was messy, and once bright chocolate eyes were nearly black. His skin was paler than Bakura had ever seen, and he looked as if that he was going to faint.

"Mas…ter… Bak…ura…?"

Bakura watched the boy silently as he took two shaky steps forward, not letting go of the doorframe. Suddenly he staggered, and fell, strangely without a sound.

Bakura found himself going towards the teenager, although he wasn't sure why. He crouched down next to Ryou, who was sprawled on the bathroom floor, his white hair falling over most of his face. Bakura noticed he was breathing heavily.

"Get up." Bakura said, not making any movement to signal that he was going to help the teenager get to his feet. "Don't be such a baby."

Ryou, shaking, managed to put his arms to the floor, but suddenly his entire body began to violently tremble, and he instantly collapsed onto the floor again, giving a near silent whimper.

Bakura sighed. "Ra, you're such a weakling." He seized Ryou's arms and roughly pulled him upright. However, Bakura noticed that Ryou's knees seemed to nearly cave, unable to support his weight. He also noticed that Ryou's entire body was limp, and the slightest movement jerked him around like a puppet.

Bakura snorted. "Come on. You're not even trying to hold yourself up. If you think I'm going to support you like an infant then you must be crazy."

Bakura's eyes widened as Ryou's pale, thin hands suddenly latched onto his arms, as if struggling to use him as an object of support. Bakura released his hold as Ryou steadied himself, but near instantly his legs went out, and he collapsed yet again to the tiled floor.

Bakura sighed heavily and jerked Ryou up by one arm, and began to drag him out of the bathroom. He then near threw Ryou onto the couch. Even though the Master didn't hear it, Ryou did whimper from the impact.

The teenager was mentally screaming in pain from the rough handlings.

Bakura made his way to the doorway, just leaving Ryou there on the couch. But suddenly a sound made him stop. A noise that sounding like choking.

Bakura turned, and suddenly he found himself immobile at the sight.

Ryou was coughing, choking on a substance that Bakura could tell was rapidly rising into his throat. Suddenly, Ryou retched, and Bakura watched, motionless, as he began to spit up a rather large amount of blood.

Ryou whimpered, his fingers digging into the fabric. He felt dizzy, and being able to see his own blood on the floor didn't help any…

_What do I do? _The thought suddenly hit Bakura's blank mind like an enormous wave. Suddenly a voice projected itself into the back of his brain. _Why do anything? You never seemed to be concerned before. Besides, letting him just waste away will be better for you… You said it yourself._

Ryou was shaking, blood dripping down his chin. He managed to lift his head up, his white hair falling into most of his face. His chest was heaving. "M…Mas…ter…"

Bakura swallowed thickly as he found himself staring into Ryou's face. Ryou's eyes were pitch black, resembling the color of a raven. He was so pale that Bakura could compare him easily to a ghost… Ryou's gaze averted then, and his head hung back down as he started coughing again.

Bakura watched more blood spill onto the floor. He was too busy staring that he had tuned out everything else, and did not hear the footsteps behind him. He didn't even realize there was anyone else until a hand met his shoulder. Even though he didn't expect it, he did not jump or flinch in any way at the sudden touch. _"…It's time, I'm afraid."_

Bakura blinked, looking up to stare into his demon's crimson eyes. "W-What?"

"…_Ryou-kun's strength is dangerously low. It will probably be only a few more minutes before it's all over… At least when that happens he won't be in pain…"_

Ryou managed to stop coughing, looking up to find the demon approaching him. There were tears running down the little albino's abnormally pale face. He gave a soft whimper, but said nothing.

The demon sighed and crouched down a bit, before reaching out with a clawed hand, and gently placed it over Ryou's beating heart. Ryou stiffened at the touch instantly, and he whimpered again, trying to pull away, but he couldn't move.

"…_He has less than ten minutes left." _The demon traced one finger over Ryou's beating organ, _"I'm so sorry it has to end like this, but there's no other option, I'm afraid…"_

Bakura was silent, watching the two. He just stood there, but suddenly, something in his brain kicked in and began to speak, but it wasn't the same little nagging voice as before… This one seemed different… _Is this really what you want?_

Bakura swallowed, his fists clenching at his sides as his head bowed slightly, his gaze fixed on the floor. _…I don't… I don't know._

_Yes, you do know. You're the only one who truly knows what you desire. Now, is this the way you want things to end? Do you really wish for a being so innocent as that boy to die to just revive a demon of its' powers?_

Bakura's eyes narrowed. Never, in so many years, had his conscience actually spoke to him. He had never been held back before, doing each decision without a second thought. But now… Something about all this just felt…_wrong._

-

"Hey… What's this?"

Marik blinked as a rather large amount of papers fell to the floor from their place of the back cover of an old journal. The front of the diary was falling apart and the pages were yellowed and wrinkled. What looked like burns lined the covers. The papers that had come out were also yellowing and greatly wrinkled. What looked like blood and slight burns were upon them.

"Here, let me see." Marik took the pages from Malik. "Read the entries. We could use all the clues we can get."

Malik nodded and obeyed, taking a seat on Bakura's bed. Marik used the desk for support, before spreading the papers upon the top. He noticed they were taped together, but by the looks of it, the tape was just as old as the papers, for it was faded and breaking in several places. Slowly, as gently as he could, he began to open the pages, and he noticed that it unfolded like a map…

Marik just stared at the map-like papers before him, violet eyes unblinking. He didn't know what to make of it…

There was a faded picture, about the size of a business card, stuck against the faded paper, apparently glued down. Marik noticed that even though it was faded, he could still see the inhabitants of the photo; there was a child, and two taller beings, apparently the parents. Beneath it was a small note that had been written against the paper with ink, _"It's all I have left of you."_

There was another faded photograph, but this one was of a slightly bigger child, and what closely resembled the demon from before… _"I think I'm still unhappy. Upset, alone, and afraid… Cold and hollow now, even with this 'company'." _The note was once again beneath the picture, written in heavy black ink.

Most of the paper was filled up with words and phrases in that same thick black ink… _"Get me out of here." … "I can't escape." … "I'm like property now." … "I never should have accepted that offer." … "Why won't it end?" … "Voices." … "Tears mean nothing." … "It says it loves me, but why does the slightest touch chill me to the very bones?" … "No protection." … "Nightmares." … "Dreams." … "Endless darkness, so cold…" … "Murder and blood." … "Someone save me."_

A cold shiver suddenly made its way down Marik's spine. He finally allowed himself to breathe again, managing to tear his eyes away from the sight to look up at Malik. "What does it say?"

Malik was frowning deeply, biting at his lower lip. "Master Marik… It's similar to any other diary, but… But I had no idea Master Bakura went through so much…"

"…I noticed." Marik said softly, more to himself, as he eyed the taped pieces of paper back together. "Well, can you thumb through it and see if he ever went into detail about how that _creature_ was pulled out of his soul?"

"Umm…" Malik flipped through the pages. "Oh! Here… Do you want me to read it out loud?"

"If it's not too much trouble, then yes." Marik sat down in the armchair at the desk, arms resting against his thighs as he leaned forward.

"O-Okay…" Malik cleared his throat slightly before starting to read from the battered old book. "'_Dear Diary… I am not sure of what to make of this… Today has been rather strange, to say the least. I have to say, though, I'm finally calm enough now to write… I am not sure of how I feel, however. Well… It's a bit hard to explain. But first let me tell you what the cause is._

"'_I lost… I lost that demon today. It… It killed the man who was abusing me. The Master of the castle I've been staying at. They at first thought it was me, but when they found out it was the demon housing in my soul, they didn't hesitate to destroy it. They began to scream spells at me, and suddenly, I could feel a strange chill seeping into my heart as I watched them pry that other soul right out of me. It screamed at me, saying it loved me…_

"'_And for some reason… After all it had done… I didn't wish for it to leave me. I found myself screaming and crying, yelling for it not to leave me alone… But then it was gone as they sealed it away it the darkest depths of my consciousness where we cannot reach each other. I have a tattoo on my neck now because of that sealing. I'm not quite sure of what it's called, and I do not know what to think of it._

"'_There's a lot of chaos going on now. People have been locking me up, labeling me as a threat… And I can tell they're struggling to find a new Master before things get too out of control. But of course, I cannot watch or help them choose. They say I'm too unstable and dangerous to be let out of this cell…_

"'_I feel empty inside. Even more hollow than I did before. And I think it's because I grew used to someone loving me. Someone holding me and talking to me like I was a person again, and the best thing was that this someone never hit me. And I grew so accustomed to that love, and I grew used to sharing my body with another soul, even if it did thrive off of me like an insect._

"'_So now that it's gone, I think a part of me went with it._

"'…_I found a copy of the spell used to seal it away inside of me in the library. I'm not quite sure why, though. I think it was just in a time of need and a hopeless struggle; a struggle to try to gain what was lost…_

"'_I have to go now. They saw they want to talk to me. It's not often that anyone speaks to me. But I am not happy about them requesting my presence… There's never good news for me… -Bakura.'"_

Malik slowly lifted his head up. Marik was staring at the sheets upon the bed, apparently taking it all in silently. "Master Marik… I never… I never knew Master Bakura was going through so much pain and so many situations…"

"…He doesn't like to speak of his past, apparently. Not that I can blame him." Marik said softly. "Is the spell included?" He asked, trying to change the subject. He walked to the desk, picking up the papers, and folded it back up, before slipping it into his pocket and sat back down.

Malik nodded slightly, and handed the blonde the ragged journal. "It's on the next page. I can't really read it though… And I doubt I'll be able to perform it. I mean, I don't have a Mark or anything…"

"Well, there's ups and downs to having one. Sure, you can perform magic and whatnot, but it's dangerous. You saw what happened to Bakura…"

"…I guess so." Malik said softly. He jumped, however, as something touched his shoulders. He looked up to see Marik's arm resting about his shoulders.

Malik's face alit with crimson almost instantly. "Hey, now. There's no need to blush every time I touch you."

"…I… I'm sorry. But I'm just not really…" Malik paused for a moment. "…I'm not used to anyone touching me. It's not like the servants are allowed to touch each other like that, even if it is just being friendly, and it's not like Master Bakura ever tries to grow closer to us in any way…"

"I know what you mean." Marik muttered. "Bakura has pretty much always been like that, even when he was little. He almost seemed afraid to grow closer to other people…" Marik glanced down at the spell contained in the journal, which he was holding with his free hand. "Okay, let's do this. We can't afford to waste any more time. That Ryou boy is probably already in it quite deep…"

"W-Wait." Malik dared himself to look up into Marik's violet eyes. "C-Can you promise me something?"

"And what would that be?"

"…W-When we get them out…" Malik rubbed at his arm. "C-Can you try to get Master Bakura to loosen up? You know, maybe tell a bit more, and let Ryou have some freedom-"

"I'll do my best." Marik's grip tightened on Malik's shoulders. "Okay, now hold on. I'm not quite sure if this is going to hurt or not… And let's just hope it takes us to the right place…"

-

_I should have tried to run away before all this. _Ryou coughed weakly, getting blood all over his shirt. _I had chances to escape, but I didn't take them… Why? Why didn't I run away?_

_I was scared, wasn't I? Too afraid to go back out into the world and be completely alone again… Malik probably left an influence on me… He was…the best friend I could've asked for…_

Ryou moaned softly. Everything was getting blurry, the outlines of the figures before him getting sketchy and dipping out of range. The colors of the world seemed duller, mixing a bit.

His heart hurt, and he could vaguely feel his head throbbing, the two pulsing together in rhythm. _Thump. Thump. Thump._

Ryou didn't realize that he was crying until his face became sopping wet and the tears began to roll off his jawbone… But he couldn't stop the tears.

_I'm going to die here. I'm going to be used to revive a demon that's going to wipe out everything it sees. _Ryou's chocolate eyes filled with even more tears. _Why didn't I fight harder?_

Bakura stood there quietly, staring down at Ryou's figure. The teenager was cradled in his demon's long, shadowed arms. Tears cascaded freely down the boy's paled face and there was blood dripping off his chin and onto his now greatly bloodstained shirt.

The demon held Ryou gently in its arms, Ryou gasping and coughing as he cried. Its crimson eyes blinked once, and it reached out, gingerly placing its hand once more over Ryou's heart.

_Stop… Get away from me…! _Ryou found himself not only unable to move, but his voice wasn't working now either. _T-Then… It's true… I'm… I'm about to leave…_

His heart was hurting even more. Ryou could feel it beating against his ribs, as if it was straining. Tears rolled down his face and he dared to open his chocolate eyes entirely, and struggled to lift his head to try to get a glimpse of Bakura, wanting to see what his expression was.

Bakura blinked, noticing Ryou straining to lift his head, apparently wanting to look at him for some reason. The albino sighed and crouched down so that Ryou could meet his gaze without having to move at all. "Don't overexert yourself. Idiot."

_I'm dying and you still have the nerve to insult me. _Ryou's cries suddenly increased into sobs. _But why does it still hurt when he calls me names like that?_

Bakura blinked as Ryou's breath suddenly shook more as bigger tears filled up his eyes and began dripping down the teen's face like near rain. Bakura gritted his teeth together as he felt that sensation in the back of his mind return. His conscience. He sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair.

"…I'll tell Malik you said goodbye." Bakura muttered, before placing his bandaged hand on top of Ryou's fluffy head. "Humph. Later, kid."

_It's not like you'll miss me or anything… _A sharp pang jolted through him right then, and he managed to gasp between cries. _W-What's…going on?_

Bakura blinked as Ryou stiffened beneath his hand, the little albino gasping, and although he didn't flinch, Bakura could tell something had just scared him. He dared himself to look into his demon's eyes. "What just happened?"

"_It's his heart, Bakura-san." _The demon answered his question softly. Bakura knew it was upset. He blinked again, turning his gaze back down onto Ryou.

_Thump. _Ryou inhaled sharply as the pain about his heart suddenly grew. _Thump. _He felt his tired muscles suddenly tense up as the pain continued, and the tears kept coming. _Stop… _He felt it again, and then, suddenly, he couldn't hold it back. He screamed.

-

"Huh… Weird." Marik slowly released his hold on Malik's shoulders. "Why is it so dark in here?"

Malik swallowed. "M-Maybe we got sent into that part of Bakura's consciousness instead?" he asked, hoping deep down that Marik would disagree with the theory.

Marik opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by a heart-wrenching scream. He seized Malik's wrist and was suddenly running. "No, I think we made it!"

"Do you even know where you're going?!" Malik asked between gasps as he struggled to keep up with Marik's sprinting pace.

"Of course!" He tugged on Malik's wrist a little more. "Just follow the noise!"

The blonde Master made his way through the darkness, blindly, merely using his ears as is guide. And slowly, he could see a sliver of light. Dragging Malik with him, he finally made it to the piece of light, which was squeezing in from under a door. Marik, using his free hand, yanked the door open and took off down the hall.

Malik noticed Marik had to slow down a little, the strangely narrow hallway a near obstacle. He heard a scream again, and a small ripple of a shiver flowed down his spine. "M-Master Marik?"

"What?" Marik asked, not stopping.

"D-Do you think we'll make it in time?" Malik asked softly, unable to help the question. He was scared, and he knew it. _What if we're too late?_

"Don't worry, kid. We'll make it. Trust me on this." Marik managed to glance over his shoulder while keeping the same pace. "You _do _trust me, right?"

All Malik could do was nod.

* * *

Chapter 28: End.


	29. Chapter 29

_I'm insignificant anyway. _Ryou's tears had finally stilled. Everything has a huge blur. _No one will miss me. Sure, Malik might, but he has Marik to help him through it… I'll be forgotten in no time… It's not like I'm memorable…_

Bakura stared at the frail body of the teenager, who had stopped crying and was no longer moving, but in the stillness Bakura could hear his breathing… But for how much longer would he be able to listen to the sound?

Suddenly footsteps brought Bakura out of his thoughts. He glanced up, blinking in confusion. _But there's no one else here…_

Bakura's eyes widened as a harsh force suddenly slammed against the door, which was closed. His brown, crimson-tinted orbs became unblinking, and he watched in shock as the door suddenly burst open.

Marik appeared then, Malik in tow, Marik's dark hand wrapped securely about the boy's wrist. But as he came to a halt, he finally released his hold.

"Marik…" Bakura breathed, not moving from his place on the floor. "Why are you here…?"

Marik opened his mouth to reply, but froze as he saw Ryou, limp, in the demon's arms. Bakura blinked, turning his head away to fix his gaze on the floor.

"Bakura… You haven't changed at all since you were taken over, have you?" A large spark of anger suddenly appeared in Marik's eyes. "I was hoping that when I finally made my way into this place, that Ryou would actually be alive and hanging on. I was hoping that you had gotten down from the throne in your rotten little world to at least try to help someone when they're in trouble, but no. No, I should have known better than to think that way…"

"Then you shouldn't have came." Bakura muttered. "Besides, it's not like I need your help. It's not like I ever asked for someone to follow me around like I'm some naïve child. I don't need anyone. You of all people should know that. Besides, what are you going to do? Just stand around giving lectures when you don't even know what's really-"

Malik's eyes widened as Marik suddenly bolted across the room in a flash, and there was a loud _thump_ as the blonde knocked the albino over, easily pinning him to the floor. "M-Master Marik!"

"I can't _believe_ you!" Marik screamed, easily keeping Bakura held against the floor. His tan hands wrapped about Bakura's throat, squeezing harshly. With a snarl he started banging Bakura's head against the tile, his hands tightening as he roughly closed off Bakura's passage of air.

"Master Marik, stop!" Malik tugged at Marik's body desperately. "Please, you're going to-" Malik stopped. He could see blood dripping onto the tile.

"He deserves all of this!" Marik roared, ignoring Bakura clawing at his arms, trying to throw him off. Marik temporarily released his hold on the man's throat, instead wrapping his hands about the man's shoulders before forcefully slamming Bakura's head against the flooring. Bakura let out a loud cry, and Malik's hand went to his mouth as a large amount of blood began to flow onto the tile.

Malik's eyes widened as the demon suddenly stood up in one swift movement, depositing Ryou on the sofa. It grabbed the back of Marik's shirt and hauled him off Bakura easily, dragging him off his feet with ease and into the air, their faces just inches apart.

"No one_ hurts Bakura-san and gets away with it." _The demon's voice was low and cold, and Marik could feel its breath on his face. _"I'll _kill_ you."_

"M-Malik, get Ryou!" Marik gasped as the demon slammed him into the wall. He felt a few bones in his back crack at the sudden force. "Get Ryou and run! Don't wait for me, I can handle this!"

Malik looked down at Bakura, who was still, sprawled on his side, blood cascading down the side of his face and visibly pooling on the floor from a large wound on the back of his skull. His lavender eyes fell upon Ryou, who was also motionless, and then went back up to Marik, who was kicking, struggling in the demon's grip. Marik looked at him again, "Malik, _hurry_!"

Malik blinked, and nodded. By now the two had made their way across the room a little and away from Ryou's figure from struggling. Malik ran across the room and picked Ryou up gently in his arms, before racing towards the door and bolting out into the hallway.

No one noticed Bakura slowly sitting up.

-

The voices were washing over Ryou's mind, but it was hard to focus on any of them… Suddenly his body was jostled, and he could suddenly feel a set of arms around him; one under his knees and one around the small of his back. _Who… Who's touching me? _He knew it wasn't the demon; it's arms were cold and unnerving. _So who…?_

Malik blinked as he felt Ryou shift in his arms. Sure, the movement was barely anything, but he felt it. "Ryou? Ryou, can you hear me?" he asked as he slowed down and stopped completely. He bent down, setting Ryou down softly upon the floor, letting his back rest against the wall. "Ryou?" he asked again, for he had yet to get a response.

Ryou's black eyes widened slightly. Even though everything was a terrible blur and dimming, he could manage to make out Malik's features. "M…Ma…lik…"

Malik let out a slight breath of relief. _He can still hear me, at least. _"Ryou. Ryou, what can I do to help you?"

Malik noticed a small, red glow then, and he found that the source was a small bracelet about Ryou's wrist. "Huh… I wonder if this is what's causing this…"

He tugged on it, and the glow strengthened as the bracelet tightened against Ryou's skin. The small boy screamed terribly loud then, and Malik's eyes widened as he watched Ryou's eyes slowly glaze over. _No. _"Ryou!"

Ryou's head rolled to the left then, his white hair falling over most of his face at the movement. The black tattoo was visible on his throat.

"Ryou, please!" Tears glittered in Malik's lavender eyes. "Ryou…"

Ryou's rapidly fogging eyes slowly moved and locked with Malik's teary lavender ones. The slightest smile appeared on Ryou's lips. "T…Th…ank… y…you…"

Malik's chin trembled as he struggled to hold back the tears pulsing in his eyes. "R-Ryou, don't you dare die on me! Please… I don't want you to go, Ryou… You're like my best friend…"

-

"Agh!" Marik cried out sharply as his entire body was slammed harshly against the door, the handle digging painfully into his backside. Blood dripped down the side of his tan face and rolled down his jaw. One of his violet eyes was closed in pain, and he braced himself, kicking the demon roughly in the stomach.

"_Well, Marik-san, I must say I underestimated you." _The demon seized the man's chin in one hand, its abnormally long claws pricking the skin of his throat. _"If you were a normal opponent for me, you'd already be dead. But perhaps I've been going a bit too easy on you…"_

"Heh. You're not the only one who hasn't been fighting back fully. Besides, I don't like to hit girls." Marik grinned, ignoring the blood that continued to roll down his face. "And just like your precious little Bakura, I have just as much power capabilities that I've been holding back."

"_Oh?" _A smirk widened on its face. _"Hmm. Well, let's just say I have powers just like yours… The only difference is that I'm more powerful than you can ever be."_

"Let's see you in action, then." Marik smirked. But deep inside, he was terrified. He had fought many times, but against a _demon_? Never.

"_You'll regret asking for me to fight harder."_ Its wings suddenly folded backwards. _"Because now your death is assured."_

"You wish." Marik tensed up as he watched the demon's eyes brighten. He swallowed hard. _Here it comes._

Just like his own magic, there was a small glow at the start, but Marik noticed it didn't come from one specific place. It sort of flowed around the outline of the demon's figure…

Marik gritted his teeth, activating his powers in an instant. The tattoo on his arm began to glow, and he glared into the demon's crimson eyes.

The two powers went off at nearly the same moment, both a massive force of energy. Marik's jaw tightened as his eyes narrowed, struggling to put more power behind the enormous ball of energy on his side. He could see both of the orbs pressing against each other, but neither were moving…

"_Heh."_ The demon's wings went back a little further, and Marik's eyes widened as suddenly a huge amount of energy visibly added on to the force. It easily overpowered his own, and he was slammed forcefully into the wall. He screamed, feeling something crack.

Bakura was sitting upright now, but everything was spinning around and it was hard to think straight… He was leaning back on one arm, his other hand going through his hair. He blinked as he felt something wet, and removed his hand from his hair, lowering his gaze to the object. Through his whirling vision, he could see a large stain upon his pale palm. Blood.

Suddenly he could remember everything, but his memories ended when Marik began to slam his head against the hard, cold floor. _I think I blacked out for a minute there… Huh…_

Bakura's thoughts were interrupted as he heard something scream. He glanced across the room, his vision focusing enough to allow him to see. Marik and his demon were all the way across the playroom at the door. There was a slight glow about his demon's body, and Bakura could see Marik's tattoo glowing weakly.

Marik slumped against the door, his hand starting to go towards the source of his pain, but the demon grabbed his hands, collecting them easily in one shadowed hand and yanking them above his head. _"Now, now. You think you're in pain now? A broken rib is nothing compared to what you're going to get soon enough."_

Marik was panting, drained quite a bit from putting forth so much magic at once. He merely glared up into its eyes.

"_I thought you said you were powerful, Marik-san." _The demon smirked, leaning forward, staring at the ribbon of blood that trailed down the side of his face. _"Oh, I must say, I'm pretty disappointed."_

Marik bristled, ignoring the throbbing in his chest from the broken rib. He tugged a bit, trying to rip his hands away, but he couldn't. His breathing was still heavy, and he felt tired. He hadn't used up energy like that in many, many years… And his body was feeling the effects. _I can't do this by myself…_

Marik yelped as the demon suddenly pulled him away and dragged him across the room. The two wound up crashing onto the floor in the corner, Marik whimpering a little as he was forced to land on his chest.

Bakura, who had been watching quietly, slowly rose to his feet, despite his throbbing head. _If Marik's here, then Malik should be around here as well…_

The two were far too busy fighting to notice the albino tiptoeing across the room and slipping silently into the hallway.

-

"M…Ma…lik…" Ryou breathed, his raven black eyes staring into Malik's lavender ones. The blonde had grabbed his shirt, their faces just inches apart.

Malik's chin trembled again before tears began to cascade down his face. "R-Ryou… I don't… I don't want to lose you… I haven't had a real friend like you in years…" His hands shook on Ryou's shirt collar. "Y-You're the only real friend I've pretty much ever had, Ryou…"

Ryou gave the slightest of smiles again, but Malik knew he could not see. His eyes were fogged over, and his breathing was shallow. "…M…My…f-fr…iend…too…"

Malik began to tremble uncontrollably, sobbing, his hands curled about the albino's bloodied shirt. "I-I just want you to live…"

"Malik?" A voice came from behind him.

Malik froze and slowly looked up, his lavender eyes widening as he found himself staring up at an emotionless Bakura. "M-Master…"

Bakura crouched down silently at the boy's side, staring into Ryou's exhausted face. The boy's black eyes had slipped shut, and they could barely hear him breathing. Blood dripped down Bakura's face, and he wobbled a little on his feet, obviously unstable from the previous fight.

Malik wiped away his tears, knowing that Bakura would probably be furious at him to see him crying. After all, crying was never allowed…

But what shocked him was that not only did Bakura not speak of his tears, but he had reached out, his pale hands taking up Ryou's arm. His hand was about the little bracelet in seconds.

"M-Master, what are you doing?" Malik stammered, eyes widening.

"…I know you don't want this little weakling to die." Bakura muttered. His tattoo glowed beneath his mane of white hair. A pale light flowed from his hand before enveloping the bracelet, which suddenly cracked and fell off Ryou's wrist. "And I haven't seen you this upbeat in quite some time. Apparently you being around a friend makes you happier." Bakura paused for a moment, his eyes blank and his face held onto no emotion whatsoever. "…Now if only I could feel the same happiness you do around another life."

Malik's hands uncurled from Ryou's shirt, blinking, as Bakura suddenly wrapped his arms about Ryou and hauled him up into his arms. "M-Master? W-What…"

"He'll be fine. Without the bracelet, the rest of his strength can't be sucked out, so he can't die now. I gave him a bit of energy while taking the bracelet off too, so his heart's back into regular standards." Bakura straightened up, his face and voice still flat without any tone. "Now come on, we need to help Marik. There's no way he can't handle this on his own, no matter how much magic he uses."

Malik blinked as Bakura started down the little corridor, Ryou in his arms, motionless. Malik ran after him. "M-Master Bakura… Thank you for saving Ryou."

"Whatever."

-

Marik screamed, before coughing, watching shakily as a large amount of blood dripped out of his mouth and fell to the floor. He moaned, slumping against the wall.

"_I think you've realized it by now."_ The demon wiped the blood that was coating its hand on Marik's shirt. _"You can't win…"_

_I know. But I can't quit… _Marik's chest was heaving as he gasped for breath. He glared up into the demon's crimson eyes, muscles tensing, opening his mouth to say something, but a voice cut him off.

"Marik, I thought you fought better than this."

The pair blinked, stopping their fight, and turned slightly to stare in the direction the voice had came from. Bakura was standing in the entrance of the doorway. One pale hand was curled about the frame of the door, a thick ribbon of blood dripping down his head. He was grinning a bit despite it, and Malik could be seen behind him, Ryou unconscious in his arms.

"_Bakura-san, stay out of this. I can-"_

"You can handle it. Whatever." Bakura walked into the playroom, his face now void of emotion yet again, but deep down, his stomach was in knots. "You always say that. You always hurt people…"

"_I hurt them because they deserve it. You of all people should know that-"_

"You took everything from me because you hurt people!" Bakura suddenly screamed, his eyes clamped shut, fists clenched. "You destroyed it all! You ruined my childhood by murdering my family and those around me! And if that never happened, I would've never been taken into that castle to suffer abuse from that man! It's all your _fault_!"

Malik blinked, his lavender eyes widening slightly. Bakura's eyes were open again, and he was sure he could see a vein sticking out on his pale throat as he screamed. But what bothered him was that there were tears forming in the Master's dark eyes.

Bakura swallowed hard, shaking. "If you never did those things, I never would've felt all that pain! Maybe I never would've become the Master or received any power at all! But it's not _worth_ it! It's not worth gaining all this power and rule if you're going to get everything ripped from you to get there! I never had any friends, I never had a real family, I never had a childhood, and it's all because of _you_! This is all _your_ fault! I hate you! I _hate_ you!"

Bakura's shoulders shook violently, and he was somehow still holding his glare. A lone tear rolled down his pale face, and his fists were clenched so tight his knuckles were rapidly losing their color.

Marik's gaze went up to the demon as he felt its hand curl about his shirt then. Its crimson eyes were narrowed, and anger seemed to swallow them. _"I thought I was your friend. I loved you. I gave you all the love I possibly could and yet you never returned it. Sure, you may have been upset when I was taken, but you forgot about me. You replaced me. You betrayed me. I gave you all that I could, but yet it's not enough. And back then, I thought I was your closest friend. But no, I was merely replaced when I was taken. I was only used to get you this far, and then I was merely left alone to rot in darkness while your life went on, throwing out your memories of me and getting others to fill in the gap!" _Marik gasped as the demon's hand suddenly circled about his throat. _"These worthless beings included! What did you ever see in them?! Well, fine. If that's how it's going to be… I'll just get them out of the way."_

Marik's eyes widened as the hand about his throat suddenly squeezed harshly, cutting off his air in seconds. He struggled desperately, clawing and kicking and even using magic, but nothing was working. Suddenly he felt so lightheaded, and everything was starting to blur…

Suddenly the grip loosened just enough for him to breathe, and he swallowed a deep breath while he had the chance. But the breath suddenly turned into a heart-wrenching scream as something stabbed into his abdomen.

"Marik!" Bakura started to run, but to him, everything seemed like it was in so motion. He watched, mortified, as his demon pulled back a hand, which glowed slightly with its power, before it was plunged into Marik's front.

Bakura froze. There was a sickening sound and Marik screamed again, and Bakura's eyes widened as he watched his demon's hand suddenly come out the other side of the blonde's body.

Marik's violet eyes were wide, and he coughed weakly, a large sum of blood coming out with it, and slowly, his knees went out.

The demon pulled its hand out then, and Marik collapsed instantly.

"Marik!" Bakura suddenly snapped back into reality, running as fast as he could across the room to the fallen Master. "Marik, Marik can you hear me?" Bakura was screaming, crouched at the blonde's side.

"Stop…yelling…" Marik whispered, before coughing heavily. A sickening amount of blood splattered onto the tile.

"You're going to be okay… W-We're going to help you!" Bakura stammered, his stomach giving a violent lurch. "Y-You'll be fine…" he said weakly, but deep down, he knew Marik was going to die. There was blood everywhere, and he could almost see completely through the man's stomach from the massive hole.

Malik was rooted to his spot, his lavender eyes having widened nearly three times their size. "M… Master…Marik…"

Bakura turned his head, glancing over his shoulder to look at the blonde servant. Malik began shaking violently, making his way closer to the scene. "Malik, stay back-"

Malik didn't listen, however, merely stepping closer and closer until he was at Bakura's side, Ryou still in his arms.

Bakura reached out, taking the bundle out of Malik's arms, knowing that any second Malik was bound to collapse.

Malik's chin suddenly trembled, and Bakura watched silently, Ryou in his arms, as tears began to cascade down the boy's face. The tanned servant slowly collapsed onto his knees, his silent cries increasing into loud sobs. "M-Master Marik…"

Marik turned his head, his face smeared with blood, to stare Malik fully in the face. "…M… Malik…"

The boy's tears increased then, and Bakura clenched his teeth together tightly. _It's all too much for the kid._

Ryou suddenly gave an audible whimper, shifting slightly in Bakura's arms. Bakura blinked, glancing down to see Ryou's expression twisted with pain. Then the thought struck him full force."Marik, hold on for just a few minutes. If Ryou wakes up in time, this can work out perfectly. Just hold on tight, okay?"

Marik moaned softly as a response, Malik's sobbing uncontrollably, unable to handle much more.

Bakura gritted his teeth tighter. _I can't believe I'm thinking this, but this Ryou kid is our only chance at saving Marik's life._

* * *

Chapter 29: End.


	30. Chapter 30

A/N: Slow update on this, sorry...

* * *

_He felt cold… So cold… He could see nothing but utter darkness around him, but he could hear something, like voices… It was almost as if someone was calling his name. But who could that be? Who would actually wish for him to wake up?_

_No one. He had no one. He was alone._

_But no matter how hard he was fighting against the voices, how much he struggled against the rapidly strengthening light, it was futile._

_He knew what was going on then, and he tried to cling to the cold darkness, but he could feel the light warming his fragile form, and he screamed desperately, his thin fingers uncurling._

_He didn't want to wake up._

-

_Wake _up_ already. _Bakura's jaw was set, a hand on Ryou's chest. The flow of his strength couldn't be seen by the others, for the contact was so close the stream instantly moved from host to host.

He was feeling dizzy. Putting out so much energy at once into a different body was really starting to get to him… It was almost like losing blood; lose too much and it could become a fatal mistake. Bakura had learned this long ago, knowing how to pace his magic.

Ryou moaned softly.

Bakura instantly cut off the flow of strength, and merely stared down at Ryou as the boy slowly came back to reality.

His mocha orbs fluttered open, and even though they were still quite empty, but Bakura knew he could see. Ryou moaned again, a little louder, this time in pain. His entire body was pulsing lightly with aches and pains, and everything was spinning around… His vision finally focused enough for him to see, just enough to make out his surroundings. But at the sight of the person looming over him, Ryou's heart stilled. _Bakura_.

"Huh. So you're finally up." Bakura muttered this softly, not making any movements to show that he was going to help Ryou up. "Come on, we don't have all day to sit around."

Ryou blinked, before his voice came out in a hoarse whisper, "What?"

"I…" Bakura couldn't believe he was about to say it, but he knew he had no other option. "I need…" He swallowed, swallowing down his pride. "I need your help."

Ryou just stared at him for a moment, before he spoke, "What, all I am is some object to be used? You didn't seem to care that I was dying-"

"Did you guys forget?!" Malik suddenly screamed, still hunched over Marik's withering body. "Master Marik is going to-"

"_You_ shut up!" Bakura snapped, anger quickly bubbling up into his veins, and he then whirled back to Ryou. "I _saved_ you-"

"And now you're shouting at me just like you used to. You only want to use me. I'm just a device to you. You don't care about me at all, you only use me to get what you want!" Ryou's voice broke as he screamed back, and tears began to slip down his pale, bruised face. "Nothing about me matters unless it's my powers…"

"Listen, you." Bakura growled, acting as if he had completely ignored Ryou's words. "I don't know what your problem is, but you need to get yourself into gear. I said I needed you, and I do! All right?!" Bakura's fingers curled into Ryou's shirt, and he shook the teen as if he was a rag doll. "You never listen! And now when I'm finally stooping so low as to ask for your help, you throw back in my face!"

"You deserve it." Ryou whispered, his voice barely heard. "You hurt me. You abused me in so many ways, always throwing my feelings and hopes back into my face and crushing my hopes and dreams. You always screamed at me, never trying to talk to me like I was an actual human being. You treated me like dirt. Like a slave. And now you come crawling back to me, saving my life, just so you can pry things out of me and use them for your own purposes?" Ryou's eyes had a malicious glow in them in seconds. "I _hate_ you. I wish you _had_ taken yourself out. At least then I wouldn't still be treated this way and abused, and I would actually be able to feel even a bit of happiness. Just _die_. I want you gone out of my life for good. Just kiss off and _die_, Bakura."

His eyes widened in shock for a moment, before they narrowed to mere slits. "You little…" In a fit of rage, he grabbed Ryou's throat, slamming the boy's head against the floor, his fingers digging in, fingernails cutting so much they drew blood. "How _dare_ you! How _dare _you talk to me that way!" He was bellowing into Ryou's face, shaking with rage. "I am your _Master_, and you will _call _me as such! And you will _treat_ me like-"

"Why should I treat you that way? You don't treat me humanly. Not even close. I don't think you like a dose of your own medicine, do you, _Bakura_?" Ryou smirked, just slightly. "You're no Master of mine. You're not the boss of me. You're just some scared little kid in the body of an adult who tries to overpower everyone he lays eyes on. You _thrive _on power. You _live_ off of other people's pain-"

"Shut _up_!" Bakura screamed, yanking Ryou's head up by a handful of his hair. "_Shut up_!" He bellowed, his face only about an inch away from the teen's face. "Who do you think you _are_?! _Who_ do you think you fuc-"

"_Guys_!"Malik's voice cut through the argument. "_Stop it_!"

"Why?!" Bakura screamed, glaring up at Malik, his hands still wrapped about Ryou's shirt collar. "Do you not hear what-"

"How can I not?!" Malik screamed, tears glistening in his lavender eyes. "Can't you two just stop being children for five minutes?! I thought we were going to help Master Marik live, not sit here and argue!"

"What?" Ryou asked softly, pushing Bakura's hands away. "What are you talking about?" he asked, managing to sit up.

Only then did he see the scene before him.

"O-Oh…" Ryou's eyes were wide as he stared at Marik. The man was sprawled at Malik's feet, lying in a near pool of his own blood. Ryou could also see completely through the man's abdomen, through the hole created by Bakura's other half. "W-What…"

"No time." Malik's voice had hardened slightly, laced with worry but yet anger. "Come on. Bakura said that you would be able to save him."

"M-Me?" Ryou pointed at himself, his chocolate eyes wide. "B-But… M-Malik, I don't even know-"

"_Please_, Ryou. He… He's going to die if someone doesn't help him." Malik glanced down at Marik, whose violet eyes had slipped shut, his breathing uneven and strained, the man coated in blood.

Ryou bit his lip, before glancing down at Marik again. "…I'll do it for Master Marik… But not because Bakura asked me to." Ryou threw a glare in the man's direction, before he got up and moved over next to Malik.

Bakura just remained rooted in the same spot, not moving, barely listening. He wasn't focusing on the others anymore.

He glanced over his shoulder, staring at his demon, who was sitting on the arm of the couch, watching the other three with interest, smirking. But Bakura knew what was going happen if Ryou actually did manage to save Marik… Things would get even uglier than they already were.

"Malik, I don't…" Ryou's hands were shaking. "I don't really know what I'm doing. I mean-"

"Can't you just use your magic?" Malik asked softly.

"I… I don't know how. I haven't practiced healing people before with magic. A-And I'm scared to try. I mean… What if something goes wrong and I hurt him?"

"Don't…worry about…me." Marik's eyes fluttered back open.

"You're… You're still awake?" Malik asked, his lavender eyes wide. "Y-You've been listening this whole time?"

"Y… Yeah." Marik's head rolled to one side, "B-Bakura. Get…over here." Marik coughed heavily, moaning softly as blood dripped from his mouth. "N-Now."

Bakura hesitated, but obeyed. He sat opposite of the two teenagers, however. "What do you want?"

"Y-You…said he…could…save me." Marik's tired eyes locked with Bakura's. "Did…you lie…to me?"

"No. No, I wouldn't lie to you about something like that." Bakura sighed heavily. "Look, Marik. I just thought that maybe if Ryou and I put our magic together that maybe-"

"Ryou…is already…trying to…help me. He…wants to…save me." Marik coughed again, able to taste nothing but blood. "Y-You're…the one…we're waiting on."

Bakura blinked as he felt all eyes settle upon him. He swallowed thickly, not meeting the gaze of anyone.

Malik spoke up. "Are you just going to sit there or help Ryou? He can't do this by himself, obviously. He needs help, and you're the only one that can provide it."

"I may not like you," Ryou interrupted, "But that doesn't mean I'm going to hold that over you when someone I look up to his dying. Are you going to get your butt into gear or not?"

Bakura growled softly. "Whatever."

"So what exactly do I do?" Ryou asked, eyes locking with Bakura's. "I don't see how you expect me to help when I have no clue of what to do."

"Kid, you once sent three floors of a castle into stillness. Just do the same thing you did back then." Bakura muttered, before lifting a finger to his lips.

Ryou blinked, watching as the man roughly bit into the skin. Bakura bit down hard enough until he felt the skin break, and he removed the digit from his mouth, which was dripping blood.

Bakura then proceeded to smear the blood around Marik's massive wound, going around the gap in a circle. He did not lift his gaze to look at Ryou when he spoke, "You need to get your hand bleeding too, and put it around his wound like I did. It will be a quicker procedure when it's a blood reaction."

Ryou just blinked, not fully comprehending, for he was still quite unstable with magic. But he slowly lifted his thumb, roughly biting into the flesh, canines pricking roughly. He winced slightly at the twinges of pain that seeped through the part, and soon he was able to taste blood as it leaked from a large cut.

Ryou then followed in Bakura's steps, smearing the blood in a rough, shaky circle about the blonde Master's nasty wound. He then sat back on his haunches, "Now what?"

"We have to do this quick." Bakura lunged, grabbing Ryou by the wrist. With his free hand, he put it about an inch above Marik's wound. "Now activate your Mark and set your magic into standards for healing."

"B-But I don't know how!" Ryou stammered, chocolate eyes wide. "I thought we already went over this!"

"Look, kid!" Bakura yelled, whirling slightly. "I can't tell you how to activate your Mark! Figure it out! Everyone has different procedures! Just do what you did before when we were under attack at the castle!"

Ryou sat there a moment, and swallowed. He closed his eyes, clearing his head. _Help Master Marik. Heal him. Make him recover from his injuries._

Bakura watched Ryou, his lips twitching slightly as he watched Ryou's tattoo slow begin to glow on the side of his neck, the black engrave barely noticeable through his snowy hair.

"Okay." Bakura spoke up again, closing his eyes for a moment, activating his powers and kicking in his healing abilities. "I also set things up so that your power will flow through me, mixing with my stream, and the two will then proceed to heal. The blood connectivity should speed things up." Bakura stole a glance at Ryou. "I'm going to warn you right now. This is going to hurt."

Ryou's eyes were still closed, and he nodded, just slightly.

Bakura's eyes closed, and he gritted his teeth. He could feel the connection to Ryou's powers, and he activated yet another power in seconds. He tugged sharply, feeling Ryou's magic connecting to his own through their touching skin.

Ryou gasped as he felt a wave of pain wash over him. He jerked, trying to snap his wrist free of Bakura's grip, but it was an impossible task. Bakura's hold was far too strong… He whimpered loudly, and his hand began slipping through Bakura's grip. As this happened, he could feel the pain fading away…

Bakura's eyes flashed open. In his mind's eye he could see – and feel – Ryou's bond slipping away. His gaze fell to their touching skin, and he could see Ryou straining to pull his hand out of his grip. Around his fingers was static-like lines, tinted a sky blue. "Ryou. Ryou, stop! You can't let go!"

"H-Hurts…" Ryou whispered. It felt like his hand was being cut open, and his tattoo felt like it was being set on fire. "S-Stop…"

"If you let go, the magic is going to halt!" Bakura struggled to tighten his grip, but he could feel Ryou fighting back. "I can't afford to waste any more strength, energy, or magic to reactivate all this! If the stream gets destroyed now, it's _over_!"

Bakura's gaze snapped to his free hand. It was shaking slightly, the once blue light coming out of the palm of his hand and collecting about the lines of blood around Marik's wound was turning fuzzy and broken, just like Ryou's. The connection between his and Ryou's magic was growing weaker, and so was the stream. There was no way he would be able to produce enough healing magic himself to seal Marik back up; the magic had to rebuild the broken flesh and muscles, and that was going to take much more than Bakura could do on his own.

"Nn…" Ryou tugged again, and his fingers were slipping from Bakura's hold. "L-Let go… H-Hurts…"

"I said it was going to hurt, you idiot!" Bakura felt panic swelling in his stomach. "You can't let go! Now stop being such a wimp and help me save Marik before he dies! If I can't do this now, he's not going to live!"

Ryou whimpered, but stopped. He opened his eyes, managing to keep his magic going. His eyes locked on Bakura's face, and his orbs widened.

Bakura's face was dripping with sweat; his breathing harsh and uneven, as if he had just ran for ten minutes. "…You don't realize how much more it's taking out of me when you fight. I have to use even more power to try to snap your connection back into line…" Blood dripped down his throat. "It's…" He was feeling faint… "It's…too much for me to handle on my own…" His voice came out in a whisper, and the once drops of blood making their way down the side of his neck suddenly increased into a vicious stream. "…Stop fighting and help me…"

Ryou's eyes were still unblinking, but he felt his hand tighten up, before Bakura's grip on his wrist squeezed tight. Mentally, he could feel his will strengthening.

Bakura blinked heavily, panting. He was tired. He was putting forth so much energy, so much magic… It was so exhausting. He knew it wasn't going to be much longer before he had to stop. But he gave the smallest smile when he felt Ryou's magic suddenly burst forward in a rush, and after he finished connecting the bond again, he watched the stream of energy and power make its way about the blood circle around the wound.

Slowly, before the two, the insides of the fallen blonde's body began to reconstruct, and finally, after another few minutes, it sealed completely. All that was left was two messy circles of blood on Marik's stomach and the remaining puddle of blood from the horrible wound.

Ryou felt the connection shatter. He looked to find Bakura's hand unfurling from his wrist. His gaze fell onto Marik, "He's going to be okay?" Ryou asked, a bit dizzy from the sudden exertion of power and magic.

"Yeah." Bakura's voice was a mere whisper. "He'll be fine…with rest…"

Ryou blinked at Bakura's tone, and he looked up. He looked up in time to see Bakura's eyes roll backwards, and his eyes widened in shock.

Bakura felt the world spinning uncontrollably. His vision dimmed as he felt his eyes roll back, and he collapsed to the floor on his side in a heap, falling like a stone.

"Bakura?!" Ryou's voice came out in a panicked rush. "A-Are you okay?"

_It hurts. _Bakura's eyes were squeezed shut, expression twisted with nothing but pain, his breath leaving in strained heaves. _Make it stop. Someone…_

Ryou was motionless, unsure of what to do. Suddenly Bakura gave an agonized scream, and Ryou's eyes widened as more blood poured down the side of Bakura's neck. The man was sweating, his hair tainted with blood.

Ryou reached out with shaking hands, and brushed the strands away that hid the man's tattoo. His eyes widened.

The x at the base of Bakura's neck wasn't glowing, but it was darker. It almost looked like someone had carved a knife into the pattern of the tattoo, for there was blood pouring from the Mark, running in a vicious river down Bakura's throat.

_H-Help me… I-It hurts… _Bakura felt his stomach lurching. He knew what was going on. He knew he had used too much power, too much strength… He exhorted too much magic. His body couldn't take it. _M-Make it stop…_

"M-Malik, what do I do?!" Ryou's voice was panicked. His gaze fell back down onto Bakura, who was trembling. "I don't-" He froze as a shadow fell over him. He gulped, freezing, and he looked up slowly.

The demon was looming over him, anger lacing its features.

Ryou gasped as it shoved him away, the force easily knocking him over. He sat up in time to see the demon grab Bakura and move the man so that it could embrace him.

The two teenagers watched with enormous eyes as the demon's wings spread, and curled, folding about Bakura's body. For a moment, everything was dead silent, the slightest light coming from the demon and flowing into Bakura's still form.

And suddenly it all came to a screeching stop.

The demon put Bakura on the sofa, before whirling on its heel to face the others. _"You children have gotten in the way far more times than necessary."_

Ryou bristled at this, "I don't think you understand what's really going on here. You're the one who is been getting in our way all this time-"

Ryou's eyes widened as the demon suddenly hit him across the face, the force sending Ryou's head into the opposite direction.

"_I'm tired of all of you. Even you, Ryou-kun. It's tiring. It's sickening. I hate it. I want it over with, and now."_

Ryou felt something swallow him whole in a wave of emotion as the demon grabbed him by the throat, and he watched its hand glow, and Ryou knew, somewhere deep down, of what was about to happen.

_Protect me! _The thought came without thought. _Help me!_

The demon lunged, but its hand was forced to stop. Its eyes widened as Ryou's tattoo visibly began glowing, and a barrier cut the two apart.

Ryou grinned, just slightly, although his stomach was in the largest knot he ever experienced. "I think you underestimated me. I'm more powerful than you think."

"_B-But…" _The demon's hand fell.

"Just because you drained me doesn't mean I'm out for the count." Ryou straightened as he climbed to his feet, chocolate eyes swallowed in a malicious glow. He didn't like violence, especially after the past… But this was a different story. "I have connections, you know. And there's no way I'm going to let you win this. There's no _way_."

"_Really, now? I'm afraid you can't defeat me all by yourself, little Ryou-kun." _It smiled in a psychotic form. _"Who's going to help you?"_

"Master Marik will." Ryou's hands clenched. "And Malik. And I bet even Bakura will. I'm sure he wants you gone even more than any of us. They'll all help me."

But deep down, he felt something nagging at him. _But what if they don't?_

* * *

Chapter 30: End.


	31. Chapter 31

A/N: Sorry this update took so long... We had a bad storm and lightning struck our house, resulting in my computer getting fried, along with our television, air-conditioning system, and my dad's van. I hate lightning. Luckily the A.C. was fixed right away, we got a new T.V., my dad's car can't play certain radio stations but it's okay otherwise, and we finally got the computer working again, although we had to rip it apart and put the chips in the other computer we have and buy a bunch of new crap so I could Internet again. (I went two days without a computer. I almost went crazy from boredom.) Luckily all my files were saved, so yeah. XD

* * *

"_Really, now? And what makes you think that? Marik-san is nowhere close to being stable enough to fight, and Malik-kun has no magic abilities of any kind… You and Bakura-san hate each other, so what would be the point in that?"_ It smirked, roughly grabbing Ryou's chin in one hand. _"You're on your own, and there's no possible way you can win, little Ryou-kun."_

Ryou's eyes widened as it pulled back a clawed hand, which glowed slightly. Ryou lurched back, his tattoo beginning to light up.

The demon growled slightly as the barrier shot up, blocking its attack with ease. It glared into Ryou's eyes, which were narrowed, glimmering with emotions it could not name…

"I told you not to underestimate me."

-

He felt dizzy; sick, even…_ Oh… What happened? I… I fainted, right?_

His stomach was churning, feeling as if it was on fire, and every part of his body ached. He managed to crack his eyes open, just slightly… Shadows and figures fell into his hazy vision, but he couldn't focus enough upon them to tell what they really were.

A voice made its way to his brain, but just like the objects around him, he couldn't focus upon it… He couldn't tell who the owner was, or who was speaking…

_But at least I'm awake._

-

Malik felt like he couldn't breathe. Too many things were happening at once… Marik, who was still sprawled at his feet, was moaning slightly, apparently trying to come back around. Bakura was unconscious on the couch, and Ryou was somehow managing to fight the demon off, but Malik knew it wouldn't be much longer before Ryou would be crushed. There was no way he could do this by himself…

He knew that Ryou needed the company of the two Masters to win.

A little flutter of hope formed in his stomach as Marik's eyes eased open, just slightly. Marik moaned again, his body visibly stiffening… His violet eyes slowly opened fully, and for a moment, the little butterflies of optimism in Malik's stomach began to grow, fluttering higher and higher…

But when Malik noticed the man's orbs were glazed over and blank, he realized the man could not see, and he felt the hopeful sensation beginning to crumble into pieces.

-

Ryou was panting, a ribbon of blood trailing down the side of his face, bruises lining the side of his jaw. He had tried his best to block the blows without using magic, for they were just regular assaults, and it would only be wasteful to use his powers to block those attacks; but despite his efforts, he had been struck.

"_You're getting tired." _The demon smirked, letting one clawed, bony finger trail down the bloodied side of Ryou's face. _"Just give it up, Ryou-kun. You already know you can't win."_

"You should already know I won't quit." Ryou glared into its crimson eyes, his back pressed against the wall. "I'm not a coward, unlike your precious little Bakura."

Ryou stiffened as the punch came, plowing into his breastbone, making the teen tremble slightly with pain, but he refused to let out a sound, knowing that the demon would only take the sign of pain as an advantage.

"_Don't you _dare_ talk about him that way." _It forcefully grabbed Ryou's thin arms, slamming him forcefully into the wall, grinning slightly as it heard a bone in the teen's spine crack from the force, Ryou grimacing just a bit from the pain. _"Oh, get used to it… You're going to be feeling much more than that…"_

Ryou's eyes widened as the demon pulled back its hand again, which was clenched into a fist this time for some reason, glowing blood red. He hurriedly put up his barrier, but felt panic rise into his stomach when the light about its fist began to grow brighter, the demon grinning. _"Your measly little barrier is nothing compared to my power, Ryou-kun."_

Ryou closed his eyes, his thoughts coming in a powerful rush. _Protect._

Ryou's eyes flashed open as he felt a peculiar sensation make its way into his body. It felt a bit like the connection Bakura had put forth to heal Marik, but it felt different somehow… More powerful…

He watched the demon throw the punch, and Ryou gulped, mentally praying that it would work. He pressed himself deeper into the walls, clamping his eyes shut.

The demon's eyes widened as its fist slammed into a sudden orb of light, which shot up in seconds. The sphere enclosed Ryou's entire figure, and beneath it, the barrier could be seen. It growled, putting more energy forth, the glow about its fist strengthening.

Ryou was struggling. He watched from the inside of the case, the demon's fist beginning to break through the outside. He gulped, trying to put more energy out to strengthen the sphere about his body, but he could tell he was failing.

The demon was so much stronger…

He knew that using so much magic to heal Marik had weakened him. Not only that, but he had no idea of what the demon was capable of. Ryou was still inexperienced with his magic. It was a struggle to even do this much, but being able to put up a real fight was going to be a large effort… He didn't know if he would be able to do that… He was tired… It wasn't going to be much longer before his magic sources would cave in…

"_I'm pretty disappointed." _The demon moved its fist back, before slamming it against the orb, grinning in satisfaction as it cracked like an eggshell.

_No. _Panic seized Ryou's heart, but he couldn't move. His eyes were watching the creature's fist as it easily broke through the sphere, shattering the barrier beneath it with simplicity.

The demon pulled its hand out, the barricades crumbling from the attack. Soon Ryou was left defenseless, standing there, tattoo glowing just slightly beneath his mane of white hair, staring up at the shadow with panic-filled eyes. _"Oh, Ryou-kun, calm down… It will only hurt for a few minutes…" _It pulled back its fist again, which was still glowing with power, _"But trust me, you'll wish you had gone peacefully… Giving yourself up to help me regain my powers was a much better choice than this."_

Ryou gulped, trying to throw up another barrier, but it was useless. The demon easily crushed it, and it crumbled to the floor… He couldn't run. He was stuck in a corner, pressed into the walls… He couldn't fight back with his magic, too new to know how… _I'm trapped._

Ryou's eyes widened as the demon threw its fist out, slamming it just inches above his heart. Ryou choked as he felt snaps, and he staggered, screaming in pain.

The demon grabbed him by the throat, holding him against the wall, pinning him back, pulling the fist back once again… _"Oh, Ryou-kun, please calm down… You're just lucky those broken ribs haven't pierced your heart yet… But I'm afraid your heart _is_ going to be penetrated."_

Ryou didn't know what happened then. The demon spun him, pressing his front into the corner… And then he felt the bones in his arms straining. He cried out, trying to struggle, to fight back somehow, but it was futile…

The demon smirked as Ryou gave an agonized scream as the bones in his arms cracked, easily breaking beneath the creature's powerful magic. It shoved Ryou, who slammed into the corner, slumping…

Ryou was sobbing silently with pain. It hurt so much… The broken bones throbbed with agony, and he couldn't move at all, for the pain only multiplied if he moved the slightest muscle…

He glanced up at the demon, brown eyes spilling tears. Fear pricked his insides as the demon smirked, revealing long, thick fangs… It pulled its fist back again, still glowing with its power and magic, and leveled it with Ryou's heart.

The only thing Ryou could do was scream.

He choked, feeling the ribs crack and break from the demon's force, but the pain from the broken ribs felt like nothing as he felt the demon's clawed fingers sinking into his chest, slicing through the skin as if it was tissue paper…

And when he felt the hand of the shadow completely slice through him, the clawed fingers stabbing into his heart, the most he could let out was a scream.

-

Bakura moaned as he felt the world slowly return to him, his dark eyes fluttering open. _Huh… What happened?_

He could remember healing Marik with Ryou, then everything began to spin. And then he could remember a blurry figure picking him up…

It struck him like a load of bricks.

He could recall it now; his demon picking him up, its black wings encasing him as it held him close in an embrace… And then everything plummeted into nothing but darkness as he fainted…

Bakura sat bolt upright, a bit surprised that nothing began to burn with pain at the sudden movement. _Then I was healed… But… Then what happened after I-_

A scream ripped him out of his thoughts in milliseconds.

Bakura whirled, following the noise, and froze as he saw nothing but red. Blood. He couldn't look away from the crimson, his dark eyes locked, watching it spill onto the floor… His eyes traveled up, and he froze as he saw the scene before him.

His voice came out in an uncontrollable scream, and he ran as fast as he could, not thinking at all, his feet merely carrying him.

Bakura finally made it across the room. His demon shoved Ryou away, who fell like a rock to the floorboards, hitting it harshly.

"_Well now, Bakura-san, I don't think he'll be bothering you anymore."_ The demon took the fabric of its shirt, wiping Ryou's blood off of its hands.

Bakura couldn't move, staring at Ryou with enormous eyes. Ryou was sprawled on his side, a gaping hole in his chest pouring blood, the sticky crimson flowing over the teen's body and pooling on the floor. Bakura noticed the boy's arms dangling at his sides at unnatural angles, and he realized both limbs were broken. He could also see the boy's ribs poking outwards at places they shouldn't be, and he realized they, too, were shattered.

"What…did you _do_?" Bakura felt his legs go weak, and he collapsed, hunched over on the floor, sitting upon his knees. "He…"

"He's dying?" The demon smiled slightly, pulling its blood-stained fingers through Bakura's hair. "I'm sure that's what you've wanted all along…"

_It isn't. _That voice – his conscience – spoke again. Its voice was accusing, disappointed… _This is all your fault. You treated him this way, you directed it all this way… You didn't listen, letting anger take over, hate unable to be controlled…_

"No." Bakura's voice was a near-silent whisper. "It… It isn't."

"_Oh?"_ The demon's grin faded. _"Then what _have_ you wanted? From what I've seen, you only viewed Ryou-kun as an object… A waste of space…"_

Bakura choked slightly, his fists hitting the floor… "I…" He clamped his eyes shut, a massive wave of uncontrollable emotions crashing over him… "I want you dead and gone. I want you out of my life!"

Everything hurt. His emotions felt like a tsunami that he couldn't control… He was suddenly screaming and sobbing at the same time, choking on tears and hateful words, hunched over on the floor, pounding his fists into the tile until they bled…

"_I just think you're in a bit of shock-"_

"I know what I'm talking about!" Bakura was screaming, glaring at the creature with hate-filled eyes. "I hate you! I want you dead and out of my life forever! _I hate you_!"

Bakura leapt to his feet, completely forgetting about Ryou, and began to charge at his demon, his Mark activating in seconds. He threw a punch, but it was only blocked. He snarled, thrashing, trying to hard to land a blow, but he couldn't.

"_Look. I can tear you limb from limb right here, just like I nearly did to Ryou-kun…"_ It twisted Bakura's arm harshly, tone dripping with intimidation.

"I'd like to see you try!" Bakura snarled, his tattoo glowing.

-

Marik finally managed to view the world around him, a little surpised to find Malik hovering over him, tears rolling down the boy's face. "Unh… What happened? Why… Why are you crying?"

Malik choked slightly, not meeting his gaze.

Marik raised an eyebrow, and grunting, he placed his trembling arms against the floorboards, picking himself up slightly, sitting up, but he froze.

Bakura and the demon were fighting, and Ryou could be seen on the floor, in a growing pool of blood, motionless.

"Why didn't you try to wake me?" Marik asked, but he frowned when Malik just broke down into further tears. Marik bit his lip. _He can't take this. He's obviously not like us… He's not used to fighting and blood… _"Look, just stay over here."

Malik watched Marik slowly rise to his feet, the man securely wrapping an arm about his middle, and he began to stagger towards the battle.

Marik acknowledged the fact that the fighting pair did not notice him. He took this opportunity to make his way over to Ryou.

He crouched down next to the fallen boy, who was growing pale far too quickly for Marik's liking. He bit his lip as he inspected Ryou's wounds. _His heart's been pierced… _Marik gritted his teeth, forcing himself to activate his magic.

_I have to heal him now, or he'll die before this battle is over… _Marik leveled the healing abilities out, before letting the magic flow, watching in tense silence as the wound began to slowly seal.

-

Blood was dripping down Bakura's face, running into his eyes and into his mouth, but he barely noticed. His right eye was blackened and his throat was covered with claw marks, but they weren't acknowledged.

His hate and anger was putting him over the edge, becoming more than enough fuel to fight. He was oblivious to everything, only aiming for the target before him, straining for the goal set… _Destroy._

The demon stared into Bakura's face, the man obviously in a state of uncontrollable rage. The man's face was dripping with blood, his eye blackened, his throat sliced open… And yet he didn't seem to notice…

Bakura snarled, his Mark glowing. He swung, dodging his demon's attack, and slamming his fist into the creature's jaw, his lips twitching into the slightest grin as he heard a crack. "Having power and magic back up a punch makes it hurt so much more, doesn't it?"

The demon snarled, blood dripping from his mouth. It tried to grab Bakura, but Bakura easily dodged the motion, being so thin and agile.

He effortlessly swung his fist out, which glowed with power, before slamming it into the base of the demon's collarbone. There was a sickening crack, and the demon lurched backwards, shoving Bakura away.

"You're not a match for me. I know your every move." Bakura advanced, grabbing the demon by the shirt, the creature gasping and coughing, blood splattering onto the tile. "You're going to die, you hear me?!"

He drove his knee into the demon's stomach, who choked. Bakura grabbed it by the hair, easily throwing the creature onto the floor, before slamming his foot into the demon's chest, grinding in with the heel of his boots.

"I hate you." Bakura stomped harshly on the ribs, satisfaction rippling through him when the creature beneath him writhed beneath his heavy boots, choking and coughing. "You may have more power than me, you may have more magic and strength, but when it gets down to the basics, I can easily overpower you. I know you inside and out." Bakura slammed his heel into the chest cavity, hearing a crack. "All those years I was alone, I learned so many things that you have yet to see. Just because you shared a body with me, it doesn't mean you know me the best. There's nothing that proves that I'm weaker than you, that I can't stand up to you, or anything else! You're just all talk… You took advantage of me, using me, using emotions against me… And now you're going to pay for it."

Bakura's eyes narrowed as his demon's claws managed to slice into his jeans, cutting into his leg afterwards. "Don't touch me. Don't you lay a _finger_ on me. You deserve this."

Bakura felt more hate and anger bubble into his stomach as the demon's hand curled about his ankle, trying to shove him off… "I said don't _touch _me!"

He lifted his leg, kicking the shadow in the face with unbelievable force, listening to the sickening cracks that resulted from the brutal power.

He grabbed the demon by the shirt, his arm muscles tensing as he hauled the body off of the floor before slamming it into the wall. It made him sick to even _look _at the creature before him… The _thing _that shared a body with him for so many years, feeding off of his soul…

But something took Bakura by surprise.

The demon managed to snap one hand out of his grip, pulling it back, and sliced out without hesitation.

Bakura screamed, lurching back, cradling his face in his hands. He slowly removed his head, feeling sick as he stared at his hands, which were coated with blood. His shaking fingers trailed up to his face, and he realized what happened then.

The claws had sliced through his eye.

He could see nothing but red. He couldn't see out of his left eye, and he had to strain to see out of his swollen, blackened right one… He wobbled slightly, feeling dizzy from the blood that continued to pour down his face.

"I'll_ kill _you!" Bakura's voice was raised as high as it could go, laced with nothing but hate and anger. "I'm going to _kill you_!"

Through his wobbling vision, he managed to focus just enough to see the figure before him. He managed to activate the remainder of his magic, and pulling his hand back, he channeled the energy and power into the fist, before slamming it into the demon's chest.

He felt just slightly sick as he felt his hand sinking through the demon's chest… But he couldn't go all the way in.

He just couldn't do it. As much as he wanted to destroy the thing before him, he just couldn't… He removed his hand, the demon crumpling to the floor in a heap. Bakura kicked the body at his feet roughly, growling slightly.

Suddenly everything came crashing down upon him.

Bakura staggered, thrusting out one his bleeding hands to catch himself. He hit the floor, feeling the bone in his left wrist crack from the sudden, harsh force, but he didn't really care. The pain of the fractured bone didn't really hurt as much as his eye…

His breath was harsh and heavy. He felt sick to his stomach, everything aching, throbbing, the world spinning…

He choked, feeling bile rising into his throat. He forced himself to keep it down; he was also straining to hold down the breakfast he actually ate for once…

His head hit the floor, the cool tile just slightly relaxing on his abused skin. He could feel the blood oozing down his face, his left eye squeezing shut. He could barely see at all, his blackened right eye not in shape either…

"Bakura. Bakura, are you still awake?"

He forced himself to lift his head, a small whimper easing through his throat at the movement, his neck throbbing with pain. "M…Ma…rik…"

"Bakura, don't. You're hurt. Stop moving around so much. You don't need to be talking, either." Marik slid his arms under Bakura's body, muscles tense as he forced himself to heave the man off the floor. He blinked as he heard Bakura whimper again, "Calm down, I'm not going to drop you or anything… Come on, Malik and I are going to help you, okay?"

Marik was trying to keep an even, comforting voice, in fear that much more would send Bakura into shock. It wouldn't be a surprise after all that had happened…

"How's Ryou doing?" Marik made his way over to Malik, before gently setting Bakura down. "He's breathing okay? And his pulse?"

"He's fine." Malik was holding the teen upright. "M…Master Marik… Thank you so much… I… I don't know what I would've done if Ryou died-"

"Don't thank me." Marik glanced down at the two albinos. "We… We all helped each other out for once. Sure, we didn't exactly do it as a team, but…"

"I know what you mean." Malik's gaze fell to the demon, who was lying in a crumpled heap across the room. "But what about the demon?"

"I doubt that thing will be waking up any time soon… After we fix Bakura up we can seal the thing away for good, okay? You can help me."

"Speaking of Master Bakura… What… What happened to him?" Malik felt uneasy at the blood that was pouring down the man's once pale face, but which was now dark with bruises. "Is… Is he going to be okay?"

"I don't know, actually. I know that with a cast his wrist should fix up. The bruises will fade, and we can clean the cuts up… The black eye will go away eventually, but I don't know what's going to happen to the other one…" Marik bit his lip. "He may not be able to see out of that eye ever again. The demon's claws probably put forth a lot of damage… Only time will tell, Malik, but don't be surprised if he can't see for a while. Both of his eyes are damaged right now. He needs time to heal."

All Malik could do was nod, unable to look away from the Master's face; or mainly, his left eye. It was closed, but he could see the deep, jagged claw marks slightly. _He must be in so much pain…_

"We should clean the guy up." Marik got up, wiping the blood on his jeans, "Stay here. I'll go look for a first-aid kit."

"Can't you use your magic?"

"I wish I could, Malik." The man sighed. "But I'm tired and weak right now. We all are. It probably drained the two of them to heal me, and after such a bad wound I used just as much magic to heal Ryou… I need to get my strength back, okay?"

Malik nodded numbly, watching Marik drift off. He then turned his attention back onto the two albinos. _You guys are more alike than you think…_

"H…Hello?" Bakura's voice was a raspy whisper. Having nothing but damaged vision, he was left to merely listen. Having fallen into a silenced area, he felt panic.

"Master Bakura?" Malik blinked. "Y-You're still awake?"

"Y…Yeah…" Bakura rolled his head to one side, using Malik's voice as a guide to judge his location. "I…It…h-hurts…"

"I know." Malik didn't really know what to do. He hadn't heard Bakura sound so afraid before, or in so much _pain_. "Master Bakura… It's… It's going to be okay…"

Bakura didn't answer.

Malik didn't know if he had slipped into unconscious or not, unable to tell, but he guessed that if he was awake and not answering, he didn't want to talk about it anymore.

He dropped the subject, letting the room fall into silence.

* * *

Chapter 31: End.


	32. Chapter 32

A/N: Ugh. It's almost time for me to go back to school. Boo. D': And I still haven't started my project that's due in less than a month... I haven't even read the _book_ yet. I'm such a horrible procrastinator. D':

Anyway, thank you for the lovely reviews. And to _Unique Art: _thank you _so_ much. That really made me happy, because I usually don't find my writing too great... But to know that someone just read the whole thing all the way through... Wow. Thank you very much, you really made my day. :'D

* * *

"Marik… Stop." Bakura blindly tried to pull away from the man, but he felt someone seize of his arms, holding him still. He couldn't recognize the touch…

"Just quit moving around so much." Marik grabbed Bakura's shoulder, struggling to hold the squirming albino in place. Malik was struggling to keep Bakura's arms pinned to his sides. It was a surprise to both of the blondes that Bakura even had enough strength left to struggle…

Bakura cringed as Marik grabbed a lock of his snowy hair in an attempt to keep him from moving. He tried to wriggle out of the grips that were holding him still, but he just couldn't break free…

"Don't move." Marik released his hold on the handful of Bakura's hair, before curling his fingers about Bakura's chin, already knowing Bakura would probably begin to fight during the process. He picked up the small cloth in his other hand that had already been dipped in peroxide, and started to go for Bakura's closed eye.

Bakura jolted as the cloth met his clawed eye, and he tried to jerk back, whimpering softly. It _really_ hurt…

"Bakura, stop moving!" Marik's fingers tightened upon the man's chin, trying to hold the albino's head still. "You're only making it harder on yourself by struggling. Just calm down and let me work, okay?"

"Master Marik… I think it's really hurting him." Malik was struggling to hold Bakura still, for the albino was beginning to struggle again. "Can't we wait a little while to-"

"No. We have to disinfect it, Malik. I know the pain probably killing him, but there's nothing I can do." Marik managed to wipe at some more of the claw marks, grimacing slightly at the blood that smeared onto the cloth.

Bakura had strangely fallen both still and silent, although he was stiff in the hands of the two blondes. But Marik couldn't tell what he was feeling; he couldn't see into either of Bakura's eyes at the moment, and the man wore no expression on his face anymore. It was almost as if he had just fallen into the molding of a statue…

"There, we're all done." Marik released his hold on Bakura's chin, and Malik slowly let go of the man's arms. Marik then began to pack up the materials, for the rest of Bakura's injuries – minus the man's wrist – had already been attended to.

Strangely Bakura was remaining lifeless; his head was leveled in the same position Marik had it in, and he was still uncommunicative, stationary…

"…Master Bakura?" Malik reached out, gently prodding Bakura on the arm, surprised that the man didn't even acknowledge his touch. Malik then turned his gaze to Marik, "Master Marik, can he even hear us?"

"He should be able to… But he's being strangely unresponsive, so maybe he just spaced out or something… The pain may have caused it, or an emotion… I'm not sure, actually. It's hard to tell with him being so blank…"

"…Do you think maybe he's afraid?" Malik suggested, looking back at Bakura. The man's left eye was still shut, allowing a perfect view to the claw marks that sliced through the man's face. His right one was blackened, too swollen to get a clear view… "He may have blanked out to think over some things that were triggered and pulled to the surface through fear…"

"That's a high possibility." Marik sighed, dragging a hand through his wild hair. "But I can't blame him. He's probably in a lot of pain; both physical and emotional. I wouldn't be too surprised if he was scared. I mean, not only was this whole demon situation probably a heavyweight on his heart, but after all this fighting and getting injured like this…" Marik shook his head. "I'd be terrified too."

Malik bit his lip as he looked at Bakura again, feeling flutters of emotions he couldn't name in his stomach.

"…Honestly… I'm surprised he didn't break down. He's been through a ton of pain, a bunch of situations; a lot of which no one should have to experience. And now, not only is he stuck in the black of his mind, but now his entire world has been literally thrown into darkness. No wonder he's scared. He's been in the shadows nearly his whole life, and now, having them slink into your reality…" Marik bit his lip. "It's no wonder he's the way he is, if you think about it."

"…Master Marik… Is he going to be in darkness forever now? I mean, those claws sliced through his eye…"

"…It's a possibility. Well, he won't be in total darkness, but he may be in partial shadows for the rest of his life. If his eye was damaged enough, then he'll be blind in that side… The swelling in his other one will go down in a few days, but… He probably won't be the same."

Malik bit his lip, casting another glance at Bakura, feeling a flicker of anxiety in his stomach. "…It wouldn't be possible for you to use your magic, would it?"

"No. Malik, I can't always use my magic to heal people. Some things… They just can't be healed by our hands. Bakura's eye is one of those objects. It's too sensitive, too dangerous… It's an impossible task, and I think Bakura is aware of that, because he has yet to speak of healing magic…" Marik sighed. "I'd heal him if I could, but I honestly think Bakura already knows his fate… That may be one reason he's acting this way."

Malik blinked as Marik suddenly stood up, leaving the first-aid kit on the floor. Marik began to walk across the room and over to the demon, who was still lying on the floor not too far away in a crumpled heap. "Come on, we need to get rid of this thing before it wakes up."

Malik hesitantly followed. Marik was already crouched down next to the fallen shadow, managing to roll it onto its back. The man grimaced slightly as he noticed the various wounds, "I guess Bakura finally got too ticked off for his own good…" He traced one finger over the injured areas, frowning. "I'm surprised this thing isn't dead yet. Bakura practically shattered its collarbone…"

Marik rummaged through his back pocket, extracting a few sheets of crumpled papers. He unfolded them, scanning the text with his eyes, and spoke before Malik could ask, "I took the pages out of Bakura's diary."

"…Oh." Malik didn't really know what else to say. He sat down beside Marik, "So, um, what exactly am I supposed to do? I don't have any magic abilities, so-"

"Well, maybe you can just watch and learn." Marik smiled, just slightly.

Malik nodded a little, observing with lavender eyes.

Marik reached out with a thin, tan hand, but it froze as the demon's eyes suddenly began to flutter open. _Oh, great._

To his surprise, the demon just stared at him for a long moment, not moving. It then proceeded to speak in a low, raspy voice, "What do you want?"

"Well, if you want an honest answer, we're going to throw you out." Marik's voice held no emotion as he spoke. There was no point beating around the bush…

"…Go ahead, then." Its crimson eyes averted, not looking at either of the two.

Marik blinked in surprise. "Wait. You're not going to fight? Earlier you were-"

"There's no point." It raised its crimson eyes to the ceiling, "I don't… I don't have a reason to fight anymore."

"What do you mean?" Malik asked, blinking.

"…Not even Bakura-san wants me here. No one does." It sucked in a shaky breath, "I only wanted to protect him… I loved him like no one ever did, and this is what I get in return… I only wanted him to love me back…" Tears suddenly began to glisten in its crimson eyes. "…You'd be doing me a favor by shipping me back into the darkness. Bakura-san and I can't be near each other anymore… He hates me, and I only want to love him. It's… It's never going to work out again. It's over. I'm going to have to leave him behind like I did to my other hosts… I'm better off forgetting about him… He doesn't want me here…"

Marik sighed. "I'm sorry. I know you cared about him and everything, but sometimes things don't always work out the way you want them to, you know?" He turned through the pages in his hand, "We can do the spell now if you're ready."

"…Yes." Its wine-colored drifted to Bakura, who was still sitting stock-still on the flooring. "…Just tell him that I love him. Always."

"I will." Marik activated his magic, tensing slightly. "Okay, let's just get this over with."

Malik was watching silently, listening to Marik speak words he didn't understand, but he knew the spell was working, for he watched the demon's form begin to disappear, and it screamed, obviously in pain.

And as it vanished entirely, Marik collapsed onto the flooring, his tattoo still glowing faintly. Malik proceeded to help the man sit up, but despite the man's presence, he was now alone in the room, being the only one conscious.

* * *

Ryou moaned as he felt the world slowly come back to him, but he couldn't open his eyes. There was a light piercing through his closed eyelids, and it was far too bright for his liking. He struggled to cling to the darkness, but he could hear someone calling his name, and each time, the pieces of the shadows were fading.

Soon he had no choice but to force his eyes open, whimpering as a blinding light spilled over his eyes.

"Oh. He's awake." A voice reached Ryou's ears, but he didn't really recognize it. Suddenly a shadow blocked out some of the light, and Ryou was grateful for this. "Can you hear me?"

Ryou found that he couldn't move. He whimpered instead, trying to signal that he could indeed do so.

"Hey, turn down that light." The voice projected again, obviously to someone else. "Hurry up."

Ryou blinked as the once horribly strong light began to dim. Soon he was left in a slight sliver of the glow, which had gone down so that it was now about the brightness of a lamp. Ryou whimpered again, feeling himself panicking. He didn't know where he was, what was happening…

"Calm down. You're going to be fine." The figure moved out of the way, and Ryou squinted slightly as the light flowed into his vision again. Even though it wasn't as bright, it still hurt his eyes. "Hold on, I'm sure you want to speak to the others."

There were some footsteps. Ryou watched through bleary vision, unable to focus. _What's going on?_

"Ryou? Hey, can you hear me?" A hand suddenly settled on his arm, the touch gentle. "It's Malik…"

Ryou blinked heavily, managing to focus enough to see the blonde's worried face, which was only about a foot away from his own. "M…Ma…lik…?" he asked in a raspy whisper. He wasn't quite sure why, but his throat hurt…

"Oh, good." Malik smiled slightly. "I was worried about you for a minute there. You seemed like you were spacing out…"

"…W…Where…am I?" Ryou asked weakly, managing to turn his head.

"You're in the medical ward." Malik sat down in the chair set next to the bed, his hand still resting on Ryou's arm. "We made it out not too long ago, and even though Master Marik managed to heal you, he thought you still needed to see a doctor, just to be safe."

Ryou was silent, pouring over the thoughts in his head. He didn't understand… _Wait. _It all came back then. _That demon stabbed me through the heart… And Master Marik healed me? But what happened when I was…?_

Malik frowned slightly at Ryou's blank expression. "Ryou, Master Marik sealed the demon away. The bad thing was that we had to wait a few hours for him to regain enough strength and magic so that we could come back… We've only been back for half an hour, actually. You've been in medical care ever since we made it back to the real world."

"…W…What about…" Ryou whimpered as he tried to sit up, but he couldn't, and wound up collapsing back against the mattress.

"Ryou, stop moving around so much. Seto says you need to get a lot of rest and take it easy for a while… Your heart may have been healed, but getting active too quickly can pose a real issue if you're not careful." Malik gently moved Ryou, however, so that he was leaning into the pillows, the teen sitting upright. "There."

Ryou looked about the room; it was indeed the medical ward of the castle. Ryou noticed he was in one of the beds in the corner of the ward. Most of the beds were destroyed, probably during the attack from the army. The remaining ones were empty, except for two. One near the corner contained Marik, which Ryou could easily tell, for the bed was turned just right so that he could see the occupant. However, the one near the door, Ryou noticed that there was indeed another figure housed in a bed. "…Who…?"

Malik bit his lip, and answered softly, "…Master Bakura. He was hurt during his battle with the demon."

"…Battle?" Ryou asked numbly, looking towards Malik's downcast lavender eyes. He blinked once, his eyes locking with Malik's as the blonde raised his head.

"It was right after the demon stabbed you, actually. Master Bakura ran over, and started freaking out… He got really upset and angry at the same time, and then this really bad fight started… He won in the end, but, he got really hurt…"

"…H…How so?" Ryou asked, unable to look away.

"He has a lot of cuts and bruises, and pretty deep set of claw marks on his neck. His wrist is broken, and Seto said some of his bones are bruised. He also got a black eye, and… His other eye…" Malik trailed off into silence. He just couldn't say it. Seto had predicted that the albino Master would be partially blind due to the attack, and this really bothered Malik.

Ryou sensed that something was wrong, so he didn't push it. He didn't want to pressure Malik. But deep down, he really did want to know what had happened…

"He's unconscious, so… I don't really know." Malik looked away. Deep down, he was dreading it when the Master would come back around… "Just try to get some rest. Dinner should be ready in about an hour, so I'll wake you up then, okay?"

Ryou nodded, giving Bakura's bed one final glance before looking away, and trying to convince sleep to take him away.

* * *

_Darkness. It was the only thing he could see. It surrounded him, nearly suffocating him… It clung to him, dragging him to the floor…_

_He tried to scream for help, but his cries merely echoed, bouncing off of the newly formed walls that were closing in on him. Soon he was enclosed, as if trapped in a box, the walls too close, too suffocating… The darkness had him pinned to the ground, blotting out every sliver of light, slinking over his vision, blinding him._

_He tried to scream again, but he felt those shadows nearly pour down his throat, wrapping about his neck, covering his mouth like a gag…_

_Soon he couldn't breathe, unable to struggle, his entire frame held down against the floorboards, the walls moving in closer and closer… He screamed behind the darkness coating his mouth, managing to yank one arm off the floor, out of the shadows pinning it down. But it lasted for only a moment before the shadows pounced on the skin, slamming the limb back down against the floor, as if feasting upon his form…_

"Bakura! Bakura, snap out of it!"

He felt his eyes flash open, but he couldn't see. His breath was uneven and harsh, and he could feel a set of hands on his upper arms, as if holding him still.

"Oh, Ra, Bakura, don't scare me like that… I thought you were hurt. I mean, you were screaming bloody murder…"

Marik released his hold on Bakura's arms, moving back slightly. He felt his heart sink into the pits of his stomach. Bakura was staring right at him, but he looked completely blank, and Marik knew that the man couldn't see him.

"…W-Where…" Bakura couldn't see. A shiver flowed down his spine again as the thoughts of the overpowering darkness came fresh into his brain. Even though it was a nightmare, it was eerily real… Now it seemed like a brutal reality. He couldn't see a thing but black, and the voice speaking to him had no face or figure. It only projected itself through his mind. Those walls felt like they were coming closer again.

Marik blinked as Bakura began to tremble, his violet eyes widening slightly. "Bakura. Bakura, calm down! I'm right here. You're going to be okay… You're awake, and everything is fine, all right?" He grabbed hold of Bakura's arms again. "Listen to me. Just stay calm. I don't want you freaking out again, okay?"

Bakura whimpered. He felt cold and his mind felt empty, as if something was missing. He felt his head move, but nothing came into his line of vision. He couldn't see. He made a movement to try to look down at his hands, but nothing appeared.

Marik's heart fell further as he watched Bakura in silence. Bakura had lifted one hand – which Marik noticed was not the broken one – and he was blindly touching the various parts of his figure.

Bakura felt nothing but panic. He could feel, but nothing came into his vision at all but darkness. He felt his hand touch his face, and then his hair…

He was scared. The darkness was unnerving, and he could feel those walls closing in on him… He was suffocating, the walls enclosing him in a container again…

_Oh no. _Marik felt a prick of fear pierce his heart. Bakura's eyes had widened to twice their regular size, his hand rested on his jawbone, motionless. The man's breathing had increased to an irregular pace, so close to that of hyperventilation…

Marik grabbed Bakura's arms again, shaking the man slightly. "Bakura! Bakura, calm down! You have to calm down! You're going to be okay! I'm right here! Everything is going to be fine, I promise!"

Bakura was still in Marik's hands, unmoving. His eyes were fixed on Marik's face, but he could not see it. Marik stared back at Bakura, shaking him, trying to get him to realize things weren't what they seemed…

But it was just too much.

Bakura broke into tears, sobbing hysterically, sightless eyes squeezed shut. His breathing was still too quick to be normal, and he was shaking uncontrollably, the darkness of his mind too overpowering; the walls had stopped moving in on him, but the shadows that encircled him were smothering him…

"Bakura, it's going to be okay, I promise." Marik reached out, wrapping his arms about Bakura's back, proceeding to pull the man closer to embrace him. Bakura sobbed into his shirt, trembling, incoherent words slipping from his lips, slurred slightly by his tears. "Bakura, just calm down…"

Slowly, Bakura's tears lessened, until they stopped entirely. He leaned against Marik, before blindly groping for the man's arms.

Marik was still as Bakura's thin, pale hands moved around, searching for something he didn't know. He blinked as they curled about his arms, before Bakura weakly pulled himself upright, but he didn't let go.

Bakura swallowed. He knew it was Marik sitting before him, but it bothered him to be unable to see him. His unbroken hand slowly traveled up from Marik's arm, his fingers blindly moving up.

Marik was still, watching silently. Bakura was leaning forward, eyes slightly red-rimmed and unfocused. He felt the albino's fingers go up to his neck, before the hand quickly traveled up, before he felt the bony digits touch his hair. "Bakura…"

Tears trickled down Bakura's bruised face. "…It's not fair…"

Marik bit his lip as he stared into Bakura's eyes. The left one was blank and dull, and even though it was open, he could still see some of the claw marks. The man's right one was still far too swollen to see out of, and even when the swelling did go down, Seto said it was possible he could be blind in that eye as well. If the demon punched him just right, it could've done serious damage, mainly because of the magic backing up the blows. But he said they would have to wait for the inflammation to go down before he could tell…

Bakura dropped his hand, more tears trailing down his face. He pulled away, scooting back on the bed with a small whimper. "I-It's not f-fair…"

"Bakura… Seto told me that you being blind is only a possibility." Marik grimaced slightly as he said this. That was a lie. He already knew Bakura was going to be blind in his left eye, no matter what. Those claws sliced through it all… The right eye did however hold a possibility… "It's going to be okay… We'll be able to tell once the swelling on your black eye goes down, all right?"

"…How long is it going to take?" Bakura murmured softly, tears still dripping down his pale, bruised face.

"Seto said that it'll probably be around a week."

Bakura's heart plummeted into the soles of his feet. A week. Seven days in nothing but darkness. _But I may be like this forever… _He choked, feeling more tears dribble down his face at the thought. Spending the rest of his days in the shadows, having them suffocate him even more than they already did…

There was no way he would be able to make it if that happened.

"Bakura, come on, don't be this way." Marik scooted a little closer, clasping a hand over Bakura's shoulder. "Don't cry. Feeling sorry for yourself is pointless. It's not going to get you anywhere…"

_You don't understand. _Bakura jerked back, pulling himself from Marik's grip. _You don't have any idea… I've spent my whole life in the dark already… Having the rest of my years surrounded by shadows…_

It would be his worst nightmare.

"Bakura, come on, I only want to help-" Marik stopped as Bakura suddenly scooted closer to the edge of the bed, the man's hand groping blindly until it curled about the doorframe, his bed easily within reach because it was so close. "Bakura?"

Marik's eyes widened as Bakura suddenly pushed off the bed, leaping to his feet on slightly trembling legs, before taking off in a sprint. "Bakura!"

He couldn't stay and listen to Marik anymore. It wasn't like he understood; no one did. Bakura felt his breathing increase, and soon he could feel himself gasping for breath. Constantly he was slamming into things; furniture, people, or whatever was in his way. He darted blindly through the hall, occasionally even slamming into a wall or a door, but he didn't stop. He just turned on his heel and kept going.

Soon he slammed into the grandfather clock, letting out a cry, pale hands instantly going to his forehead, trying to massage away the brutal pain that had erupted in his head. He felt himself sink to the floor upon his rear, cradling his head in his hands, and now far too tired to run anymore. He was too worn out…

He suddenly felt Marik's hands upon him, the man nearly yelling, but Bakura couldn't focus on his words. He just let Marik pull him to his feet, letting him continue to lecture him, because Bakura didn't care anymore. There was one question, however, that nearly made Bakura cringe: "Why did you run away?"

_You already know why. _Bakura's thoughts were bitter and laced with pain. _To find a sanctuary._

* * *

Chapter 32: End.

A/N: Hey, I need to ask you guys something: should the rating on this fanfic go up? I mean, I was going through some of the chapters, and my violent side came out a lot; some things were bloody and whatnot... Please tell me what you think in your reviews.


	33. Chapter 33

A/N: The mailmen lost the book I ordered off eBay in the mail. D:

* * *

"Bakura… Bakura, come on, dinner's ready."

Bakura didn't answer, curled up beneath the blankets, pressed as far away from the doorway as possible, his body teetering dangerously on the opposite edge. His face was buried in the pillow, hair falling over his face and into his eyes, but he didn't care, not even bothering to push the bangs away.

Marik sighed and sat down on the edge of Bakura's bed, reaching out, and clasped a hand on Bakura's shoulder. "Bakura, come on…"

"I'm not hungry." Bakura tried scoot away from Marik, but stopped when all his legs felt was air, his figure dangerously close to falling off the bed.

"You don't have to be hungry to eat." Marik's hand tightened on the man's shoulder. "Come on. Seto says that you need to eat well if you want to get your body in the same standards as it used to be."

Bakura didn't answer. He knew this was true; while being locked up with his demon, he barely ate a thing, despite how the shadow would cook every meal for him. And because he starved himself like that, he knew he didn't have as much energy and that was going to pose a major issue on not only his body trying to heal, but also his daily life and his magic abilities…

"Come on, quit moping. It's not going to be so bad…" Marik helped Bakura sit up, the blonde noticing that Bakura kept his head low. "Bakura…"

"…You just don't understand." Bakura pulled himself free of Marik's grip.

Marik got to his feet, watching Bakura silently as the man scooted closer to the edge of the bed, his pale, slender hands searching for the doorframe. His fingers then clasped about the wood, and he pulled himself to his feet, head still bowed.

Marik reached out without words, gently curling a hand about Bakura's arm. The albino jumped at the touch, blinking, but the way he was staring at Marik, the blonde knew he was sightless. "…I'll lead you, okay? At least then you won't run into anything this time."

He began to guide Bakura down the hall, his hand firmly locked about the middle of Bakura's arm. The albino was being strangely quiet. Marik stole a glance at him, feeling a flutter of pity in his stomach. Bakura had his head bowed low, which caused most of his white hair to fall over his face. Through the man's snowy mane, Marik could see his unfocused eyes which were downcast, as if he was trying to stare at his shoes. Marik bit his lip. "…Bakura… Are you okay?"

"…I'm _fantastic_." The sarcasm in the man's voice could've been enough to rust iron, but he didn't try to pull out of Marik's grasp. He just kept his head low, staring downwards, his expression blank.

Marik gave a soundless sigh, and turned away, deciding that silence was the best thing.

-

"Seto says you should be stable enough to continue on as usual by tomorrow evening," Malik commented as he sat down next to Ryou.

"Seriously?" Ryou lifted his gaze from his plate to look Malik in the face. "But I was just put there-"

"He gave Master Marik credit on healing you; if Master Marik wanted to, he could train a little more and become a professional like Seto." Malik gave a sad smile. "I think it's pretty amazing. I mean, I don't have any powers or anything…"

"Maybe they'll develop?" Ryou suggested, giving the tiniest smile. "I mean, pretty much everyone here had their Marks come up during their stay in the castle… I'm sure yours will come along eventually. Don't rush it."

"I guess so." Malik poked at his food, sighing, his head in one hand. "But I just feel out of place, you know?"

"I know what you mean. I felt like that for quite a while when Bakura took me in." Ryou's smile widened slightly. "You'll feel at home soon enough."

"I guess." Malik shrugged slightly. "But I've been here a while, and I still just don't feel like I belong here. It's kind of weird how-"

Malik stopped as he realized it had fallen dead silent in the dining hall. Even though there was less than twenty people, it was strange to have complete silence. He also noticed everyone staring at the doorway…

Ryou blinked, and turned slightly in his chair, brow furrowed slightly in confusion. _What is everyone acting so weird about?_

And then he saw the sight before him.

Bakura had made it into the dining hall, Marik at his side. The blonde had a hand encircled about the man's arm, leading him along. The albino's head was up, and through his eyes, there was nothing visible but confusion. He looked like a lost child, due to him constantly glancing around and that blank expression on his face…

Marik escorted the albino down between the two tables, and Ryou found himself unable to look away, staring as the pair passed by him. And then he noticed.

Bakura's left eye had dulled, the previous color of dark brown now quite pale, the crimson tint much more noticeable, standing out from the pale color. His right one was blackened and too swollen to be able to see out of…

Ryou's eyes locked with Marik's as the led Bakura past him and Malik, but the blonde merely looked away, not saying a word. Ryou then stole a glance at Malik, but he, too, was silent, not meeting Ryou's gaze.

Ryou watched as Marik led Bakura to his leather armchair that sat at the head of the table, directing him to sit. He noticed Marik talking to Bakura in an undertone, a worried expression on his face… But not once did Bakura answer him.

Ryou stood up without words, ignoring Malik's questioning glance. Without speaking he made his way to the head of the table.

-

He could feel them staring. There was even an occasional murmur, and he knew they were criticizing him in one way or another, or gossiping. So he merely stayed silent as Marik dragged him along, listening to their words in silence.

And now that he was sitting at the head of the table, just like he used to, he suddenly felt like he didn't want the seat anymore. He could still feel their eyes boring into his figure, staring, whispering… And for once, it actually bothered him.

Marik bit his lip, standing next to Bakura. The man's head was bowed again, vacant eyes downcast. If you looked hard enough, you could see a slight tinge of a pink blush tainting the man's pale face, apparently from embarrassment. "Bakura?"

"…Marik, can I be alone for a while?" Bakura's voice was low and empty. He sounded like he was trying to keep all forms of emotion out of his tone…

"…Of course." Marik retreated then, but gave a worried glance over his shoulder as he began to head for his place at the table.

Bakura let out a heavy sigh as the man left. He placed his elbows on the table, proceeding to cradle his head in his hands. _Maybe I deserve this… It's all my fault anyway… I mean, I-_

"Bakura?"

The man froze at the voice, his thoughts halting instantly. _Oh, great… _Slowly, he lifted up his head, feeling his heart beginning to race.

Ryou swallowed thickly as the man slowly looked up at him. The man's left eye was pale and unfocused, and by the way he was staring blankly at him, he knew the albino couldn't see him. "Bakura… It's Ryou."

"…I know. You and the others act as if I'm deaf, too." Bakura snorted, looking away. "Now, what do you want?"

"I just want to talk to you." Ryou said, sitting down in one of the chairs next to Bakura, sitting on the man's right.

"I doubt that." Bakura's voice hardened slightly. "I'm sure you've just come to laugh at me because I've fallen face first into the dirt. So go ahead. Laugh at me. Laugh at the fallen figure before you, because I don't even care anymore."

Ryou's eyes softened slightly. He actually felt a bit sorry for Bakura… "…I didn't come to laugh or to make fun of you. I just want to talk, and ask some questions, if you'll allow it."

Bakura said nothing, not even looking in Ryou's direction.

"…Bakura… Malik told me you got in a fight." Ryou was trying to pick his words carefully in an attempt to keep things calm. "But… He never told me about your eye. And I've been hearing some rumors that you're going to be blind…"

"…I already know I will be." Bakura said this softly, staring down at the table. "That _thing _I called a friend clawed right through my eye. How do you expect me to be able to see out of it? And I may be blind in my right eye too, but they don't know yet." Bakura gritted his teeth. "This always happens. I've been shoved around my whole life, spending it in the dark… And now they've came to take over my life forever." His hands clenched. "I don't even see why I try anymore. It's not like I'll ever be able to escape. They only come back and strike me twice as hard." Bakura choked slightly, clamping his eyes shut as he felt tears burning in his eyes. "I'd be better of staying as a slave and getting abused like I was at sixteen, struggling to be perfect. But of course you probably think I deserve all the pain I was dealt."

Ryou chewed softly on his bottom lip. "Bakura…" With the man's eyes closed, he could perfectly see it. The claw marks looked deep, and they sliced from just slightly beneath the man's eyebrow to the bottom of his eye, about an inch beneath it. Ryou knew it would leave scars…

"Don't." Bakura opened his eyes. "Don't even try to sound concerned, because I know you aren't. You hate me, and I hate you. It's as simple as that. We can't stand each other. So why are you sitting here trying to talk to me, trying to get to know me a little better, when you don't even really _care_?" Tears were glistening in the man's eyes. "Just get out of here and leave me alone. I'm sick of all you people and tired of everyone around me acting like the care when they _don't_!" Bakura suddenly shoved his chair back, which scraped harshly against the tiled flooring. "I hate feeling, I hate people, I hate _everything_!"

Bakura's voice echoed slightly, and silence fell in an instant, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Bakura stood up sharply from his chair, before storming away from the table, blindly making his way through the room towards the door.

"Bakura!" Ryou hurriedly jumped up, trailing the albino, who had managed to find the door on his own and was beginning to vanish into the hall. Ryou ran after him, and made it into the corridor.

He could see Bakura sprinting away from the dining hall as fast as he could, constantly stumbling and crashing into furniture. Ryou began to pursuit him an instant, catching up quickly.

Bakura had his hands thrust before him, trying to feel as he ran, but often he went too fast, and wound up slamming into things. He let out a hiss of pain as his hip ground into the desk, and he pulled back, turning slightly on his heel before taking off again. He was dashing down the hall as fast as his long legs would let him go, his chest heaving as he gasped for breath.

He could hear Ryou's footsteps behind him.

He gave a desperate left turn, and only made it a few steps before he tripped. He let out a hoarse cry before he crashed onto his front, whimpering from the brutal fall. He groped around blindly, realizing he had made it to the stairs somehow.

Panting, he scrambled to his feet, stumbling up the steps, constantly tripping over the stairs and his own feet. He somehow made it to the top, however, and instantly took off down the hall. Sweat was trailing down the side of his face, glistening underneath his spiky bangs. He was getting tired, but he couldn't stop yet. He couldn't stop until he lost Ryou.

Ryou growled. The game of cat and mouse was beginning to irritate him. He watched Bakura take off down the left corridor, and Ryou sighed with annoyance. He instead went straight, knowing that Bakura would keep going and they would eventually crash into each other.

Just like he predicted, he eventually found Bakura. The man had slowed down greatly, apparently thinking he got away. He was panting, staggering down the corridor, slumped against the wall.

Ryou hurried over to him, not hesitating, and seized the man's arms. "Finally. I hate it when people run." He squeezed Bakura's wrists.

"Get off…" Bakura murmured, too weak to fight.

"No." Ryou easily overpowered the exhausted man, slamming him into the wall, pinning him. "Bakura, I'm tired of this."

"Then just leave me alone." Bakura whispered, tears glittering in his tired, nearly empty eyes. "Just back off. I hate you-"

Bakura's voice halted instantly as Ryou pulled back a hand, before the teen slapped the man across the face, the sound echoing in the empty hall.

Ryou glared into Bakura's face, although he knew the man couldn't see him. "What is your _problem?"_

"I don't want you looking me. I don't want you here, or anyone else… Why can't you people just understand that I just want to be alone? That I don't want to talk to any of you?" Bakura bristled slightly in Ryou's hands. "Just go away. I want to be alone. I hate it when you people act like you're concerned, but all of you… You just shove me around and talk about me like I don't exist." He yanked one hand free of Ryou's grip, and lunged, managing to grab Ryou's shirt collar. "I should be asking _you_ what _your_ problem is! Why do you act like you suddenly _care_?! _Why?!_" Tears were streaming down the man's face. "Why do you people _do_ this to me?!" Both of the man's strong hands were on Ryou's shirt. "I don't _get_ it! What is _wrong_ with you?! Or is it _me_?! _Huh_?!"

More painful and angry tears were spilling from the man's eyes. Bakura was shaking. Suddenly his hands tightened, and he yanked, successfully ripping the cotton of Ryou's shirt.

Ryou was frozen, staring into Bakura's hurt, blank eyes. Bakura was shaking and screaming with tears spilling down his face… He didn't know what to do.

"_Why_ do you _act_ like this?! _Why_ do people _treat_ me this way?!" With every angry phrase, Bakura continued to rip Ryou's white shirt down the middle, buttons getting ripped off the center of the fabric and being sent clattering onto the floor. Bakura was sobbing uncontrollably, tears of pain, anger, and confusion cascading down his face.

Soon Ryou's shirt was completely open, revealing his pale, bruised torso, and Bakura merely sat there, shaking hands curled about the fabric. The man bowed his head then, not releasing his hold on Ryou, and merely cried, his tears dripping down his face and onto the floor beneath him.

"Bakura…" Ryou was almost afraid to touch the broken man before him, fearing that Bakura would merely have another breakdown. "Bakura, please…"

Bakura hiccupped, his eyes clamped shut, head bowed, which caused a curtain of white hair to fall over his face. He stiffened as he felt hands touching him; Ryou's hands. They were resting on his back, forcing him to move closer…

Ryou didn't know what else to do. He merely pulled the unstable Bakura closer, who surprisingly didn't fight, other than stiffening. Ryou blushed slightly as he pulled Bakura closer until Bakura's head was practically leaning against his chest.

Bakura hiccupped again, a little shocked to feel one of those hands rubbing circles on his back. He could feel Ryou rocking him, his face nearly touching the boy's bare chest. _I just don't understand…_

It took about ten minutes for the man to stop crying. Bakura then hung limp in Ryou's arms, eyes swollen and red-rimmed, his pale face stained with tear tracks.

"Better?" Ryou dared to ask, his voice soft.

Bakura gave a barely audible sniffle, nodding just slightly. He didn't know why, but for some reason, it felt different to have someone holding him, struggling to comfort him. He used to hate it. But suddenly, Ryou's arms… They felt safe. Secure. And this only confused him. Why did he suddenly long for comfort? Why did he suddenly not care about Ryou's presence?

Bakura slowly lifted his head, sightless eyes wet with tears. He didn't know what to feel. He could see nothing but darkness, and he didn't know what kind of expression Ryou had upon his face. Was it pity? Was it disappointment? It drove Bakura crazy not to be able to see nothing but the black. Not only did the shadows smother him, shoving him off into the pits of insanity, but not being able to see anything surrounding him also brought a sense of insecurity and unsettlement.

"…I…" Bakura's voice came out in a hoarse whisper. "…I… I'm sorry." Bakura looked away, eyes downcast. "I… I just…" He choked, swearing as tears stung at his eyes. He wiped the tears away with the inside of one wrist. "Ngh. I'm so _pathetic_…"

Ryou wasn't sure of what to say. He blinked, however, as Bakura suddenly released his hold on his now ripped shirt. Ryou watched silently as Bakura placed one hand against the floor, fingers blindly searching along the tile, the albino beginning to collect the fallen buttons.

After he collected all seven, Bakura sat back on his rear, holding them out towards Ryou. Ryou blinked, and took them out of Bakura's outstretched hand.

"Tell one of the others I said to get those stitched back on. I'd do it myself, but not being able to see…" Bakura looked away. "…I apologize."

_What's gotten into him? _Ryou wondered silently, staring at Bakura with confused eyes. "Bakura… I'm afraid I don't understand."

"…There are a lot of things I shouldn't have done. But I can't take them back. The most I can do is regret and struggle to learn from my mistakes." Bakura's eyes rose to Ryou's face, although he couldn't see it. "…And I'm sorry. I apologize to you the most, Ryou. I really hurt you. And I hurt you just because you reminded me of my past. That wasn't fair." Bakura looked away. "And I just want to say I'm sorry. But I already know you probably won't forgive me, and I don't blame you for that."

"We can't all forgive right away." Ryou's voice held a bit of pain as he said this. "But it'll come eventually."

Bakura didn't respond to this.

"Bakura…" Ryou scooted a little closer, for once actually wishing Bakura would stare him in the face. "Bakura, I may not forgive you so quickly… But that doesn't mean I won't let you have another chance. We all screw up sometimes-"

"I screw up every single time, not just once." Bakura's tone was acidic. "I'm an idiot. I'm too pathetic to learn from my mistakes. I keep making them over and over again until it sickens me to even make another one-"

"Bakura, listen to me." Ryou grabbed Bakura by the shoulder. "Just stop. Try to listen to your conscience for once. Listen to your gut when it's trying to tell you something." Ryou bit his lip. "Bakura, I know you have high pride. But that's no excuse for leaping before you dare to look down first."

"…It's hard to change your habits. I've been like this for years." Bakura looked away. "I've always struggled to have high pride, because it took my mind off of my low self-esteem. I intimidate those around me in a pathetic attempt to make myself feel bigger and stronger. But most of the time, even with the power around me, I feel smaller than the others around me. Weaker." He closed his eyes. "I've never felt like I belonged. I used to live among people just like me. People who were poor and dirty and had to steal to live. Thieves. Scum. And that always affected me inside. Even though I slowly grew higher and higher with power, I never came out of my shell. I remained lonely, weak, cold, frozen… A shadow with shattered hopes and dreams. Nothing but a boy inside the body of a man…"

Ryou blinked as Bakura's voice cracked. The albino's eyes were glistening with tears again, barely being suppressed…

"And I could never up my confidence, for it was always crushed, along with my heart. I was stepped on like a cockroach, walked on as if I was a set of stairs." Tears were making their way down his porcelain cheeks, but he didn't acknowledge them. "And I struggled to make myself perfect in a desperate hope that if I was flawless, then I wouldn't be treated like trash. But, oh, how I was wrong." He smiled sadly. "It didn't matter. The only result of my attempts were even more bruises and wounds than before. More verbal abuse. More assault. More scarring."

"Bakura…" Ryou's voice came out in a mere whisper, and he was sure Bakura didn't hear, for he just kept going.

"And how ironic it was. That man stepped all over me, ripping me to pieces. And eventually, he was killed. And who then to step up and take over the throne, but me?" Bakura's shoulders shook in a cold, bitter laugh. "And then I was the one to step on the ones beneath me. And those pathetic excuses I called people had to bow down before me, obeying my every whim, or they would feel the same pain I did.

"…But it didn't make me happy. Deep down, I hated it." Bakura wiped at his eyes, which were still spilling tears. "I just wanted to be normal. To have friends. To actually belong for once. To have someone understand or feel what I did. But I soon realized that was impossible. I wouldn't ever get my childhood back. I wouldn't get another chance to live a normal life. My chances at living like a regular person were dashed. My past would just keep following me until I died. I would forever live as a no good thief without friends, without happiness, without sanity, without love… I would thrive off pain and misery, like a demon." He closed his eyes, tears escaping the closed lids. "A monster. That's all I was. I still am. I can't change. It's too late for me now. I had my chances, and I didn't take them…"

"Bakura, that's not true… You can change if you want to." Ryou scooted a little closer, putting a hand on Bakura's shoulder. "If you try hard enough, you can do anything you set your mind to-"

"That's nothing but a lie." Bakura wiped at his eyes, rubbing away the tears.

"Hey, I'm only trying to help, but if you won't cooperate, it's a bit pointless-"

"I already told you I can't change. I'm sorry, Ryou, but I just _can't_-"

"Yes, you can." Ryou squeezed the man's shoulder. "Bakura, you're already changing. You said you were sorry. You're confessing. That's different from the man I saw in the start." Ryou smiled. "I know you can become a different person if you just try, Bakura. Anyway, come on. Your eyes are probably bugging you. You should go wash up." Ryou stood, helping Bakura to his feet. "I'll lead, if you'll let me."

As Bakura nodded, Ryou began to escort the man down the corridor, a hand encircled about Bakura's thin yet muscular arm. There was nothing but silence as the two walked towards the bathroom. Ryou decided to break the quiet between them and asked, "Bakura, how old are you? You never told me."

"I'm twenty-eight." Bakura whispered softly.

Ryou blinked, about to ask more, but became wordless when Bakura suddenly leaned over, letting his head rest his shoulder, before closing exhausted eyes. Ryou didn't move him either, knowing that the man was worn out. But as he continued down the corridor with Bakura at his side, he couldn't help but smile to himself, knowing secretly that things from here on were going to change.

* * *

Chapter 33: End.


	34. Chapter 34

A/N: Believe it or not, this is the next-to-final chapter. (I hope you guys aren't mad at me now...) But this fic already feels like such a huge accomplishment for me, and it's not even completely finished yet... Mainly, because this is the longest fic I've ever written, and I got over 200 reviews! -cries with happiness- I totally love you guys, and I hope you enjoy the next-to-last chappie!

* * *

Bakura leaned against the countertop, dabbing at his eyes with a wet washcloth. Ryou was silent, watching him, seated on the rim of the bathtub. He heard Bakura wince; apparently even the soft fabric of the cloth touching against the scarring tissue of the man's eye brought pain.

Ryou decided to speak up. "Hey, Bakura?"

"Hn?" Bakura turned slightly. The claw marks had reddened slightly, and the man's eyes were swollen. There was a rather large mark on his cheek from where Ryou had slapped him.

"I… I was just thinking about all those things you said." Ryou bit his lip. "…A-And it's made me curious, to be honest. I mean… You've never really talked about yourself to others before-"

"Neither have you." Bakura muttered, cutting Ryou off. "All I know is that you're fifteen, going to be sixteen in September, and that your mother and sister are dead. You know more about me than I do about you, Ryou."

"…I know. But my past is just…" Ryou closed his eyes. "It's confusing. I really don't remember anything clearly. Everything is blurry and mixed together, and when I try to put it all together like a puzzle, there are tons of pieces missing…"

"Well…" Bakura pulled himself away from the counter and walked over towards Ryou. His hands felt around slightly, and he found the rim of the bathtub. He sat down on the floor, however, and let his back rest against the tub. He pulled his legs up just slightly, letting his arms rest across his knees. "What _do_ you remember, exactly?"

"I…" Ryou bit his lip roughly, staring at his shoes. "I can remember everything clearly up until the moment my mother and sister died. And then… Everything begins to spiral out of control. I can only recall bits and pieces…"

"A lot of my memories are like that as well." Bakura said, sightless eyes fixed upon the flooring. "When your life begins to get too out of control… And it starts getting too much for you to handle… Everything begins to smear. You can barely remember a thing… And when you do, it seems out of place and fuzzy, as if you can barely call it a memory. It seems more like a messed-up dream…" Bakura lifted his head as if to look at Ryou. "But out of those blurry little puzzle pieces… Which can you actually recall? Or, how far back can you remember?"

"I think I can recall a few things from when I was about five; that was when my mother got pregnant." He sighed. "And she was completely overjoyed when she found out it was a girl. I think I was excited too, although I didn't really understand what was going on. And soon Father stopped playing with me completely. Sure, he was gone a lot to start with, but he squeezed time in for me. But then he totally forgot about me… I was often alone during those months, trying to find a way to keep myself entertained. And sure, my mother would still play with me during the early months, but soon it became too much of a difficulty for her, you know?"

Bakura gave a silent nod, but he didn't say a word.

"…And then they died four years later." Ryou felt tears burning in his eyes. "And if that wasn't bad enough… My Father then proceeded to vanish, leaving me alone." He gave a bitter smile. "That was when my life totally fell apart.

"I struggled to find a way to survive. I often stole to make my way through the months. It wasn't like I had any other choice. I didn't want a foster home, so I took the streets instead. And I slowly adjusted, and took that up as my new life. I wandered, stealing, making enemy after enemy on the streets. That often led to them calling me out, so I could barely ever stay in one location, for the guards were always after me.

"…And then everything blurs together. I can remember running, no matter where I went. I was always running away, never stopping, never stalling. And slowly, I could feel myself falling apart inside. I hated myself for taking what wasn't mine. I hated those people I never met that killed my family. I hated how I always had to run away. I knew I couldn't ever settle down to make friends and have a life. I would always be running. And eventually, I went numb. Sometimes I would wish I would get into a fight, just so that I could feel some pain and not be paralyzed any longer."

Bakura was staring in Ryou's direction, unable to say anything. He could hear Ryou's breath increasing, and he knew the boy was in tears.

"Ngh…" Ryou rubbed at his eyes in an attempt to wipe away the tears. "Crap… I kept telling myself I wouldn't cry… Ugh, I'm so weak-"

"No, you're not." Bakura said softly. "Ryou… You and I have gone through a lot of similar situations. We're more alike than you think." Bakura grasped the rim of the tub in one hand, and pulled himself to his feet. "You're not weak, Ryou. I'm sure most would've broken down. But you pulled yourself through it. You had enough strength in you to decide what you were going to do. You were strong enough to put your foot down and declare you weren't going to settle for a foster home, and you then went to the streets… A nine-year-old boy living on his own is an amazing feat."

"…R… Really?" Ryou looked up, trying to wipe away his tears, and he stared into Bakura's face.

"Yes." Bakura bent down slightly, as if trying to level his eyes with Ryou's own, although he couldn't see. "I'm serious, Ryou. You're strong-willed. Not only does your past tell that, but… You stood up to me. You defied against me. You never quit. You never gave in. You kept fighting until the end. You were just a slave, and you stood up to the master. No slave has ever put his foot down to my behavior before. The only one who was relatively close was Marik… And he's a Master. So it doesn't really count."

Ryou's eyes widened as Bakura's lips suddenly twitched into the position of a smile. It wasn't like his usual smirk, but a real smile…

"You should be proud, Ryou."

* * *

The rest of the week was a struggle.

The swelling in Bakura's black eye had gone down, and after a few tests, Seto had revealed that he would be able to see fine out of his right eye, although his left one was completely cut through, so there was no hope for it. But Bakura had just smirked, claiming that only having one eye was better than not having any.

And although he didn't show it, he was happy that he wouldn't be caught forever in the shadows.

Bakura had spent the entire week trying to keep his standards up as Master, trying to keep himself in control. He was struggling to figure out a plan amidst the chaos of the castle, and the stress was beginning to eat away at him. He usually stayed up late and night and way into the early hours of the morning, and he often fell asleep at his desk, his head resting on top of his many stacks of paperwork and plans he had sketched out and a few textbooks. He rarely came to the dining hall to eat with the others, instead having a servant deliver his meal to his room, and he ate while pouring over his papers and notes and textbooks. Sometimes he would spend the entire day cooped up in his room, working every minute of the day and still staying up late…

Bakura didn't even bother to look up as someone knocked upon his door, but he did speak up. "Enter."

Ryou became visible then as the door opened. The teen frowned slightly at the sight of Bakura; the man's back was mostly facing him, but he could see the side of the man's face. His eyes were narrowed, brow furrowed… He was obviously deep in concentration. "Bakura?"

"What do you want, Ryou? I'm busy." Bakura's didn't even look up, his hand moving across the page briskly as he wrote, the feather on the pen swaying as he went, gripped tightly in his long, bony fingers.

"I know. Ever since you got your sight back you've been working and studying nonstop." Ryou closed the door before padding across the room and over to Bakura, who was hunched over at his desk. Bakura refused to look up, continuing to write. Ryou frowned at this. "Bakura…"

"Ryou, I can't help it. Spending those days with that demon of mine and in medical care took up too much of my time, and now I've fallen behind." He brushed the paper away, picking up a new sheet. "So now I'm up to my eyes in paperwork and planning."

Ryou eyed the thick stacks of papers that sat on both sides of the man's arms, surrounded by abnormally thick books, and the wastebasket next to the man's desk was nearly overflowing with balled up wads of paper. "Bakura… I think you're working too hard. You've only been getting about five hours of sleep, or maybe even less than that… You're putting too much pressure on yourself-"

"What else do you expect me to do?" Bakura dipped his pen into the ink bottle and began to write again. "It's not like I have a choice, Ryou. I'm the Master. I have responsibilities and work I _have_ to get done." He dropped his pen onto the mahogany desk, before taking the opportunity to rub at his temples.

"You're stressed out, Bakura. Have you ever thought about taking a break for once?" Even the sight of the work set out made Ryou dizzy.

"I only have twenty-four hours in a day, and none of which I can afford to waste right now, Ryou. I have a meeting Wednesday from nine until five. Thursday is the twenty-ninth, meaning it's the day we go through all of our storage. Friday is the thirtieth, meaning the very few servants I still have will be free to roam the rest of the day after their meals. And Saturday is the day all of this paperwork is due, and my final notes and plans are due Sunday." He was writing again, taking only a few seconds to dip his pen into the bottle of ink. "I told you, Ryou, I can't afford to waste any time at _all_."

"…Wait. You said the paperwork is due. Who exactly is it due to, if you're the Master? Aren't you in control?"

"Yes, but every month the paperwork is issued, and I have until the first of each month to get it all done and sent out. I have to send out a report to several different people, including the markets, certain towns, and so on, so they'll know what materials we'll need here at the castle, and whatnot."

"…Oh." Ryou watched Bakura silently as the man finished another page, before stuffing it to the side with the others. "…Well… I can help you, if you want me to. It's not like I really have anything better to do."

Bakura's head shot up. "Really?"

"Sure. But you'll have to explain the process to me. I don't really understand what to do." Ryou smiled, just slightly. "Not only will you get done faster, but you won't be as stressed out."

Bakura gave a tired smile. "Thanks."

* * *

It was three-thirty in the morning when Bakura finally went to sleep.

He moaned as he crawled into bed, burying his face into the pillow. His back hurt from sitting down for so long, and his hands ached. He had stared at the text for so long that his vision was blurry.

Ryou had helped him out for around two hours. The two had a wide variety of conversations as they worked, and truly, deep down, Bakura was glad he had someone around to actually talk to. He hadn't had real conversations with people in _years_, and he kind of missed it a bit.

He snuggled underneath the black quilt, letting his eyes fall shut. Oh, it felt so _good _to finally lie down. He fell asleep in an instant, totally exhausted.

His slumber only lasted a few minutes.

A crash snapped him into wakefulness in an instant. Bakura sat bolt upright in his king-sized bed, his eyes feeling heavy and he was bone-tired, but he forced himself to become alert.

He got out of bed, quickly yanking off his black silk pajamas, before hurrying across his bedroom, and snagged the pair of jeans and tee-shirt that he had been wearing before he changed off his floor. He was already at the door, only halfway dressed. He took only a few more seconds to snatch up his old cutlass sword, which he kept in the bottom drawer of his desk.

He then dashed out into the hall. Voices were drifting to his ears, coming from downstairs. But what bothered Bakura was that they were voices he didn't recognize.

He took off down the corridor. With the blade of his weapon between his teeth, he dug through the pocket of his jeans, pulling out a black hair tie. He then proceeded to tie his long white hair back in a ponytail, before removing the cutlass sword from his teeth and clutching it tightly in his hands.

He darted down the halls, heading for the staircase.

When he made it there, he ducked behind the railing, watching quietly. He could see the glass shards covering the flooring from the window, which was broken. There were too many people for him to count with his eyes. Not only was the main lobby filled with people, but it bothered him how there were even more going to search the branches of the halls.

Not hesitating a moment longer, Bakura jumped up. Holding his weapon between his teeth again, he grabbed hold of the railing in his pale hands, and hauled himself up, before throwing himself over the railing and towards the ground floor.

He knew he couldn't wait for the others to realize what was happening to fight, for it would all be over by then.

-

Ryou sleepily lifted his head, the crash bringing him out of a comfortable slumber. He rubbed at one eye, merely thinking something had been dropped in the kitchen or another situation along those lines, but when he heard someone scream, he knew it was much more than that.

Ryou stared blankly into the darkness for a moment, blinking heavily. And then it dawned on him: he recognized that screaming. _Bakura!_

Ryou sprang out of bed then, not even bothering to change out of his pajamas. He raced into the corridor, and froze.

Everyone was fighting.

He could see Malik and Marik at the end of the hall, the blonde Master standing in front of the teenager, obviously protecting him. Marik snarled, kicking away one of the attacks, his tan hand circled about a pocketknife.

Bodies littered the floor.

Ryou noticed most of the attackers were dead, stab wounds upon their bodies. Ryou realized that Marik had gotten hold of them all already, so now the hall was nearly empty. Ryou then heard another scream, which ripped him out of his thoughts, and he instantly took off down the hall, following the screaming.

He froze as soon as he made it into the main lobby.

Bakura was backed up into a corner, a crumbling barrier about his body. There was a nasty wound upon his side, which was oozing his crimson blood. His hair was starting to fall out of the ponytail, and his face was coated in sweat. He held a sword cutlass in one sweaty hand, the blade dripping with blood.

There were at least thirty bodies littering to floor of the lobby, pools of blood coating the tiled flooring. However, there were still a ton of people – maybe about fifteen – who had Bakura backed up into the corner.

Ryou found that he couldn't move.

-

Bakura was panting. Although he could only see out of one eye, he was still a great fighter. The albino slumped slightly against the wall, gulping down air, which was foul with the stench of blood and death.

"It's not really fair to use magic against us, is it?" The man who was standing closest to Bakura's cracked barrier frowned inwardly.

"It's not really fair that I should have to fight so many people by myself, either." Bakura's eyes narrowed. "But you don't see my complaining."

"Oh, you will be." The man hefted his axe in his strong arms, before swinging.

Bakura swore softly as the barrier before him cracked as the blade of the axe slammed into the material, and the barricade about Bakura's body shattered, crumbling into pieces. He raised his weapon in the defensive, but with so many people against him, he found that he couldn't block them all at once.

He let out a hoarse cry as someone managed to knee him in the stomach; he swept out, plunging him blade into the person's thigh, but it was too late. Someone else had already grabbed a handful of his hair, forcing his head upright.

The man with the axe glared into Bakura's face, his free hand easily collecting both of Bakura's wrists, preventing him from using his weapon. "You should know better than to challenge those bigger than you. After all, I could snap your neck right now if I wanted to, Bakura."

Bakura didn't doubt it for a minute. The man was at least five inches taller than he was, muscles bulging from underneath the sleeves of his gray t-shirt. He gasped slightly as the man's hand shifted from his hair to his throat, large fingers easily circling about his windpipe. Bakura choked as the man suddenly lifted him into the air, before slamming him into the walls. Bakura kicked desperately, choking and gasping, but it was futile.

The enemy was just too strong for him.

Everything was starting to blur. Bakura weakly struggled, the strong hands easily suffocating him. He choked once again, the grinning faces before him smudging violently… And right when he thought he would pass out, the grip suddenly released him.

He fell like a rock onto the floor, gasping and choking, desperately trying to gain back air. He whimpered as someone kicked him in the side where he had been cut, and he squeezed his eyes shut.

"But sadly, I don't have enough decency to merely break your neck, Bakura." The man grinned slightly, hefting the axe in his hands. "I'm afraid I like it more when there's blood and pain."

Bakura's eyes shot open, and he turned his head, eyes widening as he watch the man heft the axe above his head, before swinging it down.

His brain was screaming for him to get out of the way, but he found himself unable to move, unable to look away… _I'm going to die!_

Bakura squeezed his eyes shut, setting his jaw. He braced himself, but the blow never came.

He slowly let his eyes drift open, gulping when he noticed how the enormous blade of the axe was a mere inch from his body. He blinked, however, when he noticed a familiar light bathing the lobby, and that everyone was motionless.

Bakura put his shaking arms against the floor, completely exhausted.

He let out a cry as his arms went out, and he collapsed onto the floor, whimpering softly. He coughed, his stomach aching, and his side felt like it was on fire. He could barely breathe without a fire of pain alighting in his throat…

Suddenly a hand was in front of his face.

Bakura weakly looked up, blinking in shock to find Ryou crouching down before him, extending one pale hand, offering to help the man up. "…R…Ryou…" Bakura reached out, taking the hand held out before him. "Ryou, you…?"

"Yes." Ryou helped the man to his feet. Bakura leaned against him, gasping in pain. Ryou began to help him out of the corner and out towards the stairs. He then made Bakura sit down on the steps, "I saw you fighting… It wasn't like I could let him slice you into pieces. And I'm not much of a fighter, so I couldn't think of anything else to do but to make them freeze in place like I did that one time." Ryou bit his lip as he lifted Bakura's shirt, inspecting the man's wound that sliced through his side. "Ugh, they got you pretty bad, Bakura…"

"Nn…" Bakura stiffened as Ryou touched the wound. "D-Don't…"

"Bakura… If I just leave it alone, your shirt is going to stick because of the blood. When we try to doctor it later, and when your shirt comes off, it's only going to reopen the wound… And trust me; that will hurt a lot more."

-

"That's the last of them." Marik kicked the body at his feet, the bridge of his nose wrinkling from the stench of blood. "Ugh. I can't believe this…"

"Master Marik… Why did they come back?"

"Malik, I honestly think they were hoping to overpower us. They were targeting Bakura in a hopeful attempt that if they managed to kill him, then this region of the land would be up for grabs." Marik leaned back against the wall, putting a hand over his bleeding shoulder. "I just want this war to be over with already, but I know that's not an option. We're all just going to keep on fighting until every single one of us kills over."

"You've lost hope…?"

"I lost it long ago." Marik's eyes narrowed slightly. "It's never going to stop, Malik. We're all just going to keep fighting and fighting until we've forgotten what we were after in the first place, but even then we won't stop. We'll keep battling each other until there's no one left to fight against." He sighed. "It's sickening. The other Masters; they merely target us in an attempt to gain more. They're powered by greed. They fight for money, and for power. Nothing more. They don't care about who gets hurt in the process, or anything else… They just want more and more until there's nothing left to gain."

"The other Masters…" Malik repeated, more to himself. "Master Marik, you're the Master of the West, right?" Marik nodded at this. "Then who has the other regions, since Master Bakura has the East?"

"…The North is a beautiful place, Malik. Snow as far as you can see, amazing views, the mountains… But it's been tainted." Marik slid to the floor, still clutching his injured shoulder. Malik sat down beside him. "Seto… He rules that area. He's the richest out of all the Masters. And the Southern region… Atemu is in control, but like Seto, he wants more than what he has. However, it's the power he's after…

"Bakura is a bit different. He doesn't need to fight to get what he wants. But what he's after is servants. He wants people that support him; people that are loyal and strong. People a bit like you, I suppose, because he's said a lot about you, Malik. He's told me he grew quite attached to you-"

"Wait. Master Marik, you didn't tell me what you were after…"

"…I want all three of those things." Marik looked away, shame visible on his features. "Malik… The West is one of the weakest links. We're far behind the others. That's why I need more. I need some more servants who will actually stand by me. I need money to be able to feed those servants, and I need power to actually gain some footing." He sighed. "I know. I sound like a hypocrite, I'm sure. But… I don't want to _fight _to get what I want. I don't think I need to kill the innocent just to get what I desire, you know?"

Malik blinked as Marik suddenly stood up. "Come on. Let's go see if we can find Bakura."

Malik slowly got up and followed him, a little confused of how Marik had suddenly jumped from the subject, as if almost eager to get away from the topic.

"…Oh…" Malik stopped as he made it into the lobby. Bodies were everywhere, sitting in heaps of their own blood. In the corner, he could see some people, but they weren't moving, their figures coated in a bluish light. Malik turned his head, "But where is-"

He stopped at the sight, voice dying in his throat.

Both of the albinos were seated on the stairs. Ryou was holding Bakura's figure in his arms, the man's head leaning against his shoulder. There was a visible bloodstain showing through Bakura's t-shirt, but it seemed to be ignored. Bakura's eyes were closed, mouth slightly open; he had apparently fallen unconscious.

"…I think they've finally warmed up to each other a little." Marik grinned, just slightly. "I mean, they're not at each other's throats anymore… Maybe they're going to be getting along from now on." He turned to look at Malik, "Maybe now when you ask him if you can go with me he won't be so angry…"

"…Master Marik… Why do you want me to go with you so badly?"

"I'd be standing here all day if I told you every reason." Marik smiled. "But let's just put it simply: you fit my description of someone I need _perfectly_." His grin widened into a beam. "I need someone like you on my side, Malik…"

"I-I…" Malik was blushing. "B-But Master Bakura…"

"He'll be fine without you. He has Ryou now, after all." Marik reached out, clasping a hand about Malik's shoulder. "But I need to know: do you want to come with me, or not?"

Malik bit his lip, staring down at his shoes. He swallowed deeply, and nodded, before looking into Marik's eyes. "Yes." He smiled, just slightly. "Yes, I do."

* * *

Chapter 34: End.


	35. Chapter 35

A/N: Kyah, this update came later than intended! But anyway, this is the final chapter, and thank you for all the reviews you guys have given me, all of the support, and everything else! Thank you so much, and I hope you enjoy the final chappie!

* * *

Bakura moaned softly, head rolling to one side as he slowly came back to reality. His eyes slowly fluttered open, vision slightly blurred. Slowly, much to his relief, his sight focused.

He quickly realized he was lying in the king-sized bed in his bedroom. The only light was coming from the lamp sitting upon the bedside table. The curtains were closed, and yet no light squeezed through them, so the albino guessed that it was night._ How long have I been out of it…?_

He grunted as he struggled to sit up. He let out a breathless gasp as a sudden pain exploded in his side, and he collapsed back against the mattress, a hand curled tight about his middle.

"Bakura? You're awake?"

Bakura weakly turned his head, blinking heavily as he noticed Ryou entering the room. He gave the slightest of nods, too tired to speak.

"That's good… You've been out for nearly three days. Everyone was starting to get worried." Ryou closed the door to the room quietly, padding across the dim bedroom and over to Bakura's bed.

_Three days, huh? _It didn't surprise him. Not only was he injured, but before this he hadn't been getting nearly enough sleep… It was to be expected.

Bakura grimaced as he tried to sit up again. Not only did was his side throbbing, but his throat burned as well. It hurt to swallow, or to even breathe. He took a glance at Ryou, who was seated upon the cushioned chair at his bedside.

"Bakura, don't. Your wound still hasn't healed yet." Ryou frowned slightly. "Just take it easy, okay?"

Bakura didn't reply, blinking heavily with exhaustion. He lifted one bony hand, thin fingers brushing the skin of his throat gently. He winced. It was obvious the man who had choked him nearly to death had left bruises, for the slightest touch made his windpipe throb with pain.

Ryou watched him quietly. Bakura was both still and silent, the man staring almost blankly in the direction of the window. He seemed lost in thought. "I can open the curtains, if you want."

Bakura blinked as Ryou suddenly spoke, breaking him from his musings. "Hn? Oh… Yeah, sure," he answered softly, turning his head back towards the window.

Ryou got up from his place on the chair, walking around the bed and over to the structure. He collected the dark curtains in his hands, ripping them away from the glass. Outside, the moon could be seen, perfectly full, and surrounded by stars.

"I'm guessing you like stargazing, huh?" Ryou asked as he glanced in Bakura's direction.

"Yeah." Bakura pushed the covers back, forcing himself into an upright position. He grunted with pain, a hand curling about the headboard as he slowly and painfully made his way onto his feet. He was a bit surprised that Ryou didn't force him back into bed…

He staggered towards the window, struggling to ignore the fire of pain that was alight in his side. He finally made it, before folding his arms about the windowsill, leaning upon the limbs as he stared out, standing at Ryou's side.

"…Does it remind you of something, or is it more of a hobby?" Ryou asked, glancing over at the man.

Bakura chuckled softly, lips twitching into the slightest smile, "I guess it's just a pastime for me." His smile suddenly faded as he stared out at the full moon, "But sometimes I can't stand to look at it… It only reminds me of things I don't wish to recall, you know?"

_So it's both. _Ryou gave a mute nod as he stole a look into Bakura's dark eyes, "If you don't mind me asking… What exactly does it bring to mind?"

Bakura hesitated this time, his brow creasing as he scowled. "Well… A lot, actually." He didn't tear his eyes away from the moon, however, as he spoke. "That _thing _I labeled a friend used to look at it with me. And it also happened to be a full moon when it murdered my family… And back before that… I used to sit outside with my family and we'd watch the world every night."

Ryou was unsure of what to say. But as he stared into Bakura's eyes, he could see a sliver of pain behind the surface. "Bakura… It hurts, I know…" He gave the smallest smile, "But… Just try to remember the good times you had. I'm sure your parents made you happy…"

Bakura heaved a sigh, closing his eyes. "They did. I loved them. I always did, always have… And even though we were dirt poor… Life didn't seem too complicated. Sure, we didn't get enough to eat every day, and we needed more than what we had… But things just seemed simple and calm, despite our lifestyle…

"We lived in a tiny village where everyone knew each other. The funny thing was that just about everyone living there was poor. None of us really had anything. Someof the more fortunatepeople managed to scrape enough money together, and they would proceed to walk to the next town over to buy a cow.

"Sometimes, even _our_ family got lucky. My father would sometimes bring home a pack of seeds, and we hoped that every kernel planted would grow into a big, beautiful crop. That was when he hoped the most for rain, because if we didn't get enough of it, the plants would surely die.

"My father often set out for the next town over every morning where he sought out some work. My mother often kept the small home we lived in spotless and she prepared dinner for when Father would return home at night. I often was shooed away during the day to go elsewhere, and I either played marbles with the other kids, or I spent my days exploring the village.

"Back then I had an overactive imagination. I would create my own adventures, jumping fences and whatnot. Sometimes, I would even escape the village for a little while. We were surrounded by nothing but dirt and a mountain… And Father told me that once you made it up and around that hill, you would reach the next town over. I was always too afraid to go towards it, so I just stood at the outskirts of the village, looking at it as if it was the most fascinating thing in the entire world.

"At night, we ate dinner at the old kitchen table Father made out of some wood he had come across many, many years ago. After we ate, we would go outside to stare at the moon, since it was well past dusk by then. We would just stare at it, talking of some things, and if I was lucky, Father would tell stories.

"And I was happy. And for a while, things got even better than usual. Father managed to buy a cow. I heard more stories than ever before at night. The girl across the street asked me out. I won more marbles than usual when I played against the kids down the street…

"But it wasn't too long before my world came crashing down. My family was murdered, the village was set ablaze. And that _thing _split my soul in half as it inhabited my body…" Bakura's knuckles were white as he gripped the ledge of the windowsill, his perfect white teeth gritted tight. "It took everything from me."

Ryou wasn't really sure of what to say. He blinked when Bakura suddenly pushed himself away from the window, making his way back towards his bed. "Bakura?"

"Close the curtains for me. I'm going back to bed," Bakura muttered gruffly as he managed to crawl underneath the covers.

Ryou's brow furrowed with concern, but he obeyed, silently pulling the curtains shut before heading towards the door to leave Bakura alone.

Ryou never saw the tear that rolled down Bakura's cheek as the door closed.

* * *

Bakura awoke the next morning when Ryou entered his room, surprisingly carrying a tray, filled with plates.

"Seto says you're going to be in bed for a few more days, so I brought you breakfast," Ryou replied as he shut the door after him with his foot, before crossing the room. "And he said you need to eat more to gain back your strength, and to gain a bit of weight back, because you apparently lost a lot while you were… Well… With you know who," Ryou finished quietly.

Bakura grunted, knowing he was referring to his demon. He sat up slowly, his side still hurting a bit. He took the tray from Ryou's outstretched hands, and the teenager proceeded to sit down at the chair that remained at the bedside.

Ryou watched Bakura eat, feeling a bit relieved that the man's appetite had returned. A bit hesitantly, he spoke, "Bakura?"

"Hn?" Bakura mumbled, hungrily stabbing into a sausage.

"…Well…" Ryou took a deep breath, "I ran into Master Marik while I was in the dining hall today. Malik was with him." The teen bit his lip softly, "And… Marik said that he needs to talk to you about something important. He didn't tell me what it was, but for some reason Malik wouldn't look at me…"

Bakura seemed thoughtful for a moment, swallowing his mouthful of food before speaking, "Do you know where he is now?"

"No," Ryou murmured, teeth still nibbling upon his bottom lip.

Bakura sighed quietly, "All right. I'll talk to him in a little while, I suppose… I doubt it's going to be good news though. I mean, if your own friend isn't looking at you… It can't be anything to be happy about."

-

"When are we going to leave?" Malik asked softly, looking up as he finished dumping the remainder of the plates into the sink.

"Well… It depends. Bakura may not even agree to let you go along." Marik scrubbed at a stubborn stain upon one dish, "But I'll probably be gone by midweek."

"But I want to go along," Malik protested, frowning. "Why are you being so negative about all this?"

"I've known Bakura for a long time, Malik. I doubt he's changed very much… And plus, his entire body of servants has been wiped out. Giving another person away is really going to hurt him. Not only that, but you've been here with him for a long time, so…"

"Maybe he'll be more lenient? I mean… It's like you just said. I've been here for what feels like forever, so maybe he'll actually understand when I ask him if I can leave to go with you."

"Leave…?"

Malik froze at the soft voice, turning slightly to stare into the doorway of the kitchen. Ryou could be seen, holding a tray, the plates sitting upon the wooden object empty. "Ryou, I-"

"You're going to leave?" Ryou was rooted to his spot, but he was shaking all over, barely managing to hold on to the tray. "Malik, you can't! I… I…"

"Ryou," Marik cut in, preventing Malik from speaking. "It's my fault. I've been asking Malik to go along with me-"

"But why?" Ryou's voice was trembling. "M-Malik… He's… He was the only one who was there for me-"

"Ryou. You act as if you're alone. Bakura has softened up towards you, I've noticed. I'm sure you two will get closer and closer-"

"But that's different! Malik was my friend from the very start!" Ryou's muscles were weakening as he strained to hold back tears. "I don't want to lose him-"

"Guys, stop!" Malik interrupted the pair, voice raised. He then sighed deeply, running a hand through his sandy bangs while glancing at the other blonde. "Master Marik… Maybe me going along isn't such a good idea."

Marik's face instantly took on that of hurt. "But, Malik-"

"Let me finish." Malik took a glance at Ryou, "Maybe… Ryou and the others could come with us. I mean… Master Bakura's army has died out, just like you said. There's no more than fifteen people left… So maybe all of us could go along with you. Not only then will Master Bakura be under such a disadvantage, but you'll have some more people, and Ryou can come too!"

Ryou's chocolate eyes were wide as he took it in, and the mocha orbs flicked instantly up at Marik, full of hope and want.

Marik hesitated, before sighing heavily, "All right."

* * *

Bakura was silent as he stood on the balcony, thin yet muscled arms folded across the little gate. A stray breeze rustled his mane of silver hair, which was pulled back into a loose ponytail. He shifted his weight into one foot, tight jeans making a slight rustle as the fabric touched. His dark, kohl-outlined eyes scanned the landscape almost blankly, staring at the beautiful scenery before him, watching the sun setting oh-so-slowly in the distance.

The balcony was Bakura's escape from the world. It always had been, ever since he first came to the castle. When he was still a meager servant, when he finished his chores, or if he was restless at night, he would make his way out onto the little area, and watch the environment around him in silence.

It always brought him a sense of peace and comfort.

The man sighed softly, hunched over against the white fence. He was currently filled with inner turmoil, and he was struggling to reattach the mask to his face, not to let anyone know of his stress. And while the others escaped to the dining hall for dinner, Bakura had skipped out, preferring to go to his sanctuary than to eat.

But he knew it wouldn't be long before someone came looking for him.

He heaved another sigh, his gaze dropping to the ground, which seemed near miles away. It made him dizzy to even look down… _And to think I tried to jump from here once… Maybe I shouldn't have yelled at Marik when he stopped me…_

Bakura's thoughts came to a stop as a soft set of footsteps sounded. Bakura recognized them in an instant as Ryou's. He didn't even bother to turn around as he heard the door leading back into the castle clicked open, before Ryou's gentle and somewhat concerned voice trailed out, "Bakura?"

Ryou frowned when Bakura didn't answer him. The man was leaning against the railing, the back of his charcoal trench coat visible, and yet the tail hid his legs from sight, the end of the coat billowing out behind him.

Bakura sighed mutely as the door shut again, and he heard the steps growing closer and closer; he knew Ryou was approaching him.

"Hey… Why are you out here? You're missing dinner… And Seto says you don't need to be missing any meals… You're already underweight, Bakura-"

"I don't really care," Bakura cut him off with a gruff reply. His heart hurt for some reason, and he didn't intend for Ryou to know about it. For some reason the teenager could easily break through his walls, through his façade…

"Bakura… What's wrong?" Ryou padded over to the man, choosing to also lean against the railing, looking up into Bakura's face.

The man merely kept his gaze fixed in the same place, not wanting to look or talk to Ryou right now.

"…Memories again?" Ryou asked, looking out towards the setting sun.

Bakura blinked, looking up into Ryou's face, "How did you-?"

"I know you… And we're more alike than you think, Bakura." The smallest smile touched Ryou's lips. "Trust me."

Bakura slowly tore his eyes away, chest moving heavily up and down as he sighed deeply, knuckles white as he gripped the handrail. "Why did you come to see me? You need to be with the others."

"Well… I was worried. I mean… You've been acting a little strange lately…" Ryou glanced at him, chocolate eyes narrowed slightly with concern. "I'm guessing there's been a lot on your mind lately?"

"Yeah. A ton of stuff, actually…" Bakura rested his chin upon his folded arms. "The past, the present, and the future… My head is just like a whirlwind right now. I think I'd just come out here for some time alone to think."

"…Oh." Ryou's voice dropped a little, "Do… Do you want me to leave?"

"No." Bakura's reply was quick, and almost a little panicked. "Please… Feel free to stay."

Deep down, he was afraid of what would happen if he was left alone on the balcony. Things may turn out like the past, and he didn't want that…

"_Marik, leave me alone!" Bakura screamed, his hands clenched about the railing as he jerked roughly out of the blonde's grasp. "Just let me do it!"_

"_Bakura, stop!" Marik's arms locked about Bakura's arms, struggling to pull the paler one from climbing over the railing. "Jumping isn't going to accomplish a thing! There's other ways to handle this, and this isn't the right way!"_

_Bakura was sobbing as he struggled in Marik's grip, clutching the white bars, trying so hard to pull himself up and over. "Just let me do what I want! No one wants me here, so just let me give them what they want! Stop interfering!"_

"_Bakura, snap out of it!" Marik screamed, kneeing Bakura roughly, the blonde's kneecap slamming into Bakura's thigh. "Stop! How do you think _I_ would feel if you eliminated yourself?! Bakura, I'm your friend! I don't want to see you commit this! It's an act you can't ever take back, so just let me help you!"_

Bakura's hands were shaking. Ryou glanced up with concern and almost in fear, but he didn't say a word.

"_You worthless brat!" The hand grabbed him by a lock of his hair, and the boy screamed with pain. "Now you're sneaking out here instead of doing your chores?!"_

"_S-Stop…" Tears pulsed in Bakura's eyes, and he struggled to free himself._

"_You think the balcony is more interesting?!" he roared, easily lifting Bakura off the flooring by the back of his shirt. "I'll show you interesting, you piece of trash!"_

_Bakura's eyes widened with fear as the man suddenly grabbed his arm, and walked over to the balcony. The most Bakura could do was scream as the man threw him over the side._

_Tears freely spilled down his face as he fearfully looked up into those hate-filled eyes. The man was merely holding him by the wrist, and Bakura knew that if he dared to let go, he would die…_

Ryou's eyes grew wider as a tear suddenly trailed down Bakura's cheek, smearing the kohl down the pale skin. Bakura cried silently, staring blankly at the sunset, trembling all over, and yet, he seemed not to notice a thing around him anymore, as if he was in a trance…

"I don't know why I come here. After all that's happened out on this balcony…" Bakura wiped his eyes then, which only smudged the black substance even more, leaving an ugly smear of black trailing down his cheeks. "It surprises me that I can even come out here anymore."

"Bakura…" Ryou was curious, but he knew it was best not to butt in, especially if it was so bad that Bakura had shed a few hurtful tears along the way…

"…I know you're wondering." Bakura unconsciously rubbed at his eyes again with the sleeve of his trench coat, "Don't act so concealed. I can read through your little masks as well, just like you can see through mine."

Ryou didn't reply, unsure of what to say.

"…A lot has happened out here over my lifetime." Bakura glanced out to the sun, which was nearly gone now behind the horizon. "That man… He nearly threw me off once. He actually dangled me over the edge, merely holding me by one arm… And then… I tried to jump from here, but Marik held me back, refusing to let me carry out such an act…" Bakura's voice was cracking. "That man caught me out here one night, for the second time. He chained me to the railing, both for the night and the entire time span of the following day… And then when dusk fell, before I was released, he beat me until I lost consciousness. And then when I woke up, I was lying in my bed, and I was covered in bandages… I guessed that Marik secretly helped me…

"And I was scared for my life… Because that man told me if I ever snuck out to the balcony again, he would kill me. And I didn't doubt him for a minute…

"I can even remember when that man got married. He chained me up to the railing, saying that no piece of scum like me would ever be allowed to go to a ceremony like his. He left me there for what seemed like forever… It was a full twenty-four hours…"

As Bakura paused, Ryou jumped in a little, "Wait, married?"

"He had money and power, and the women thought he was handsome. It wasn't too long after he married one of those women that his wife turned up pregnant. But what I didn't understand, and I never have, even to this day… Is that when she was eight months along, she vanished. I never saw her again. I'm not sure of he sent her away for the birth, or what, but she never turned up… And I never found out. It wasn't like I had any connections, and I could never ask any questions because of my status…

"But I didn't like his wife either. She was just like him, and strangely even more sadistic when she was expecting. While she was around, she would sometimes throw water on me, or lie about me to her husband, which led to me getting punishment I didn't deserve… She hated me, and I didn't even know why."

"But she never hit you, did she?"

"Once…" Bakura sighed. "I once asked her if I could feel her baby move, my curiosity getting the better of me. She hit me. Right across the face, screaming at me… Her husband took over from there, accusing me of things I didn't do… I hated them both."

Bakura was silent again, staring out at the now darkened landscape.

"…You've been through a lot, haven't you?" Ryou asked softly, secretly knowing that that was an understatement. _He sure has been through more than I have… No wonder he's so insecure and messed up…_

"…I learned to deal with it." Bakura's voice held no emotion as he spoke, "Life has always been complicated for me. I was taught to suck it up and be a man, that tears were a sign of weakness, that emotions held you back… I was never allowed to have fun like a kid should. I was stuck cleaning and cooking and being spat upon by my peers." Bakura gave a sad smile, a tear trailing down his face. "I've never been good enough. I just grew used to it. I've always been deemed as someone who was stupid and weak and labeled as a failure. And it still follows me to this day-"

"Bakura, stop it!" Ryou couldn't take it anymore. "You can't keep putting yourself down like this! You've been through a lot, and you didn't let it destroy you. You've come to a great amount of accomplishments… You've grown to become a Master, getting a Mark… You had plenty of loyal servants who were willing to protect you no matter what-"

"And yet I've never been happy." Tears were trailing down Bakura's face, his breath shaking slightly, but he cried silently.

"Well… Maybe that's my goal." Ryou smiled weakly. "Maybe my goal is that when this war is finally over and everyone comes to a better understanding of one another, and we don't need Masters to rule, that not only will you be happy, but that you and I will actually be a set of close friends."

"…But why? After all that I've done, I'm not worthy of you're-"

"Bakura, the past is over. You can't keep hiding in the darkness of the old times. You need to shed some light as you move forward, because that's all that matters. What lies ahead."

Ryou smiled as he reached out, grabbing Bakura's arm, "Come on. Let's go eat. I'm sure you're hungry."

Bakura allowed the teen to pull him from the balcony and back inside, letting the boy lead him towards the dining hall. _I trust you. I'll try to be a good friend to you, Ryou, I promise. But it's going to be hard, considering that I've never had friends before._

Bakura only then noticed the big, warm smile on Ryou's face, and Bakura felt his lips twitch into the same position.

_Maybe in our efforts the friendship will come easier… And maybe the happiness will take over both of us. We can both be happy, getting over the rocks sitting in our paths and just look forward to making a clean slate every day._

_I promise you, Ryou, I'll try my best._

* * *

Chapter 35: End.

A/N: THE END.

Well, this is it! Thank you once again to everyone that has been reading, and an extra special thank you to all of my reviewers, especially those of you who review every chapter! I love you guys, and I hope to hear from you again when I post 'Unchained' and 'Testify' once 'Darkest Days' is finished!

Much love!

-Clouded-Days.


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